Year Of Hell
by WeeKittyAndTAT
Summary: REPOST. Edward's known Bella for five years, but after some time away from Forks, he learns even more. Some bad people have their hand in the control of Forks. Will Bella and Edward be able to save each other or get lost in the mix? What happens when Edward's friendship with Bella becomes so much more? Can they both fight the demons from their past and present to find their future?
1. Chapter 1

**All normal disclaimers apply. All things Twilight Saga related are the property of Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended in our use of her character names, places and or characteristics. **

**This is being reposted after being taken down long enough to hopefully fix the multitude of mess ups, grammatical errors and sloppiness. The group of ladies who helped make this process easier is made up of: Savannavansmutsmut, Jess2002, AWayWithWords and SarcasticBimbo, any mistakes still within the story belong solely to WeeKittyAndTAT, just as the story line does.**

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**Chapter one: A Day with Edward**

June Twenty-First

Beep ... Beep ...

"Get your ass up, Eddie."

Alice's voice shrills across the room.

"You need to wash some of your clothes. All of your nice clothes are dirty. God, boy, I swear you have no fashion sense!" she shouts going through my closet.

"Well, this will have to do. Come on Eddie! It's six in the morning and you still need to: shower, shave, and eat breakfast. Are you listening to me?"

I wave at her motioning for her to go away.

"Get your ass up! Here are your clothes, you better wear them. GET. UP. NOW!" Alice yells, as she storms across the room.

"I'm going to help Emmett now. You have thirty minutes to get ready, or I'll be back," she says as the door slams shut.

I lie back down on my bed and close my eyes. Not five minutes pass when I hear Alice in the hallway.

"It's not your birthday anymore, so get up now!"

She is perfectly dressed already and running around military style to get everyone ready. She's a bossy bitch. I feel sorry for Jasper. God, I bet she keeps up the ordering during ... ugh, stop that thought right there.

"Stop talking bad about me to yourself and get up now!" The tyrant screeches through the door before going off to finish her morning rituals.

I slowly get myself out of bed and flip her off for good measure. It's not like she can get to school without me, since she's still grounded and has no car. I laugh at the thought of what she did two weeks ago. I turned nineteen yesterday and got a day off from her shouting and telling me what to do for a full twenty-four hours—It was bliss—the best present I had ever received.

Every morning is the same old thing. Tink gets up, orders everyone around, and gives them clothes to wear. God, I remember once when I rebelled.

_"Fuck you, Alice. I'll wear what I want."_

That was not a good day. I will never do it again. It took three weeks of one hour visits to my therapist, to get over what she did to me. _Stop, not going there, can't deal with that memory._ Yes, she has mentally scarred me for life.

As I get ready I think about my life. I'm Edward Anthony Cullen, but I wasn't born a Cullen. I turned nineteen yesterday, happy birthday to me! I live with Carlisle, his wife Esme, and their children Alice and Emmett. My mom and dad were killed when I was six, so I moved here. Carlisle, who I _lovingly_ call dad, was my mom's only sibling. Esme, who I proudly call my mom, is the best mother I could have ever asked for. Yeah I'm a momma's boy, I love that woman.

I go to Forks High School with my sister, who's really my cousin, Alice. Alice is my morning nightmare, she's eighteen. Alice is two inches over five feet, and looks like a pixie. That's why some of us call her Tink. Alice and I are both juniors, and she just stared dating my best friend, Jasper, in March. I don't know who to be more worried about.

Then there is Emmett. He just graduated a semester early. He's nineteen too, and starts college this fall. He's going to attend college two hours from here, but plans on coming home every weekend. His long-term girlfriend Rosalie, whom I call the devil bitch, is going off to the same college as him.

I put on the clothes Alice had put on my bed and start to make my way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Here's your breakfast, dear. Are you all set to go? You leave at six in the morning tomorrow for your flight," Esme asks as she hands me my breakfast.

"Yeah, I just need to pack, and I'll be all set, Mom."

"What? You're not packed? Oh, Edward, I'll do it when you're at school today. I thought you were looking forward to going."

"I am, but I'm just going to miss you so much. I've not washed some of the clothes I need to take, what can I say I'm a mess."

"Well, I'll do that too then," she said.

"Mom, you're the best. I don't know how I'm going to get through the next ten long weeks without you."

"You're so sweet, my dear, Edward. I am going to miss you too. You better get going, Alice is in a hurry. Give this to Mrs. Cope, so the school knows that today's your last day."

"Thank you, I will. I'll see you tonight."

I give her a peck on the cheek and make my way out to my car.

This is my last day of school. Everyone else has another two weeks to go, but I am going to Chicago for a music course that lasts for ten weeks. I'm coming back to Forks two days before school starts again, and then I will be in my last year here. Thank God, I can't wait to leave this town that's for sure.

I hate school in Forks, there are so many issues it is terrible. The jocks – bullies are: Mike, Tyler, Eric, Paul, Sam, Jacob, James, Laurent, and Riley. I've had a talk with each of them about bullying younger, weaker students. Most of my talking was done with my fist, but hey, I have to get my point across. Jasper, Emmett, Ben, and I are also on the football team, but we don't do the shit they do. Emmett is the team captain, and I have just been voted captain for next year. It pissed Jacob Black off, but I will be running a tight ship with the team.

Then, there are the cheerleaders. Rose is the head cheerleader, Alice was voted head cheerleader for next fall. Besides Alice and Rose, there are only two other cheerleaders that are decent girls. There is Bree, who is a sweet girl, who gets picked on a lot. Then there is Angela, my team-mate Ben's girlfriend. The rest of the cheerleading squad is: Tanya, Lauren, Jessica, Kate, Irina, and Victoria. They bully the girls of the school. Much like the boys, take every opportunity to try and rule the school. They flipped out when Bree was given a place in cheerleading just because she has a mild form of Down's Syndrome. Alice, Rose, and Angela were on the enrollment committee so they had to deal with it.

At lunch time the jocks and cheerleaders, and our group is split up. We always sit at different ends of the room. At my table, there is Emmett, Rose, Jasper, Alice, Ben, Angela and me. At other end of the room are the douches and bimbos. Bree sits with us Mondays and Wednesdays, as those are practice days for her. On the other days, she sits with Bella Swan. _Ah, Bella Swan. _Bella does not fit into any of the groups in this school, apart from being friends with Bree.

Bella took Bree under her wing two years ago, when Bree came to school here. Bella doesn't talk much to anyone. She's the smartest girl in the school, very pretty and wears what she feels like. She has never had too much trouble with the bullies. Jacob and his crew call her names now and then. That bitch Tanya, and her coven of skanks, push her around and try to trip her now and then. Bella pretty much always has a comeback for most of their bitchy comments, or sidesteps their attempts to trip her, though.

I know for a fact it was Bella that talked to Rose and Alice about Bree trying out and even came to support her. She comes to the home games for Bree, too. I think Tanya and a few others beat Bella up one night after a game we lost. They were calling Bree names and pushing her, Bella stood up to them. Two days later, Bella turned up at school, black and blue. We tried to get her to tell us who it was, but she never did. After that, we make sure Bree was with us at the end of the game. We are sure to keep an eye out for Bella too.

"Okay, fairy boy, where's my homework? I told you I wanted it done for today. You better have done it, or so help me and I better get an A too."

"Ja-Jak-Jake, it's in my locker. I'll g-go and get it for you, but I don't know about that A. My mom ..."

What the fuck?

I had to stop this. As I turn the corner, I see Seth pinned up against his locker by Jacob Black.

"Now, fairy boy, I better get an A. My dad said he'd buy me that part I need for the Rabbit. I don't give a shit about your mom..."

"Seth, you're going to be late for class. I'll give you a lift home today. Wait for me at my car, okay?" I tell him as I stride right up to where Jake has him cornered.

"Su-sure Edward, n-no problem. Thanks," Seth says, he is a good kid.

He has asthma and he's quite smart, gets B's all around. He could get the odd A if Jacob would do his own homework. Two years ago, he came out gay and proud. Jake and his pack of mutts picked on him relentlessly when he came out, but we put an end to it. A few months ago, the picking started again. I don't have a problem that he's gay, and neither do the rest of my friends. _To each their own, right?_

"Jake, I told you before about Seth. He's out of bounds. You know that."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I picking on your boyfriend again, Cullen? Sorry. Maybe you should go and kiss him better. After all, you're both freaks. He's disgusting. How can you defend him? He should not be allowed in the school. He could give us stuff."

"Don't be ignorant, Ja…"

"Ha, you know the guys that say 'Get me away from the gay guy', and 'Hate the gay' are really closet gays themselves," says a sweet voice.

Both Jake and I turn to see Bella come around the corner.

"Hope you're not saying that I am gay, Bella. I'll knock you into next week, I don't fucking care who the hell your gramps is. Then I'll fuck you good and hard to show you that I'm not gay," Jake says.

He said it with so much anger I put myself between Bella and him. Bella being Bella, sees his anger. This girl has a death wish. I never talk to people, but hey, big, angry, fucked up jock, sure, I'll piss him off. Just to tell you how bad it is, Jake is like six foot seven and weighs just under three hundred pounds. Bella is five foot two, if that. She might weigh a hundred and two pounds if she was wet holding a brick, but is she scared? Nope! Me? I am shitting myself. I'm six foot two and weigh about two hundred pounds. I'm fast and can always predict any attack Jake is going to try. I can win fights against him, but I want to come out without a scratch.

My mental worrying is cut off with Bella laughing.

"Sure Jake, now come on. I saw your 'thing', and well, it's nothing to be proud of. I wouldn't be surprised if after I had sex with you, I'd still be a virgin. There's no way that thing you call a penis would break my hymen. Yeah Jake, I know it was cold and you fell in the river and had a leech on it, but fuck. You could not see the penis under the leech, and it was a baby leech."

A part of me wants to laugh, but I'm worrying about Jake hitting her. However, Jake just turns red and storms off.

I turn to Bella. "So, do I need to give you a lift home, too?"

"What? No. Jake's an ass. I can't believe he's messing with Seth again. He just got out the fucking hospital on Sunday. He should stay at home, but Seth being Seth, he had to come to school."

"Yeah, Seth seems to love it here. I don't know why. So you have seen Jake's penis?" I say not really asking

"No, I was kidding. Why do you think he never showers here after practice and games?" she replies, raising one of her eyebrows.

"So, do you want to date him?" I have to ask this, as everyone in the school knows that Jake has a thing for Bella.

"What? NO. GOD, NO! There are many reasons why I don't want to date him, but here and now is not the time to get into that. I better get to class. Thank you, Edward. It's nice that you're always helping Seth out. You said you're giving him a lift home?"

"Yeah, that's right. I like Seth. He's a good kid."

"Edward, if you have time, can you take him to the hospital instead? His mom got taken in on Friday night. It's not looking good. Seth had an asthma attack and got admitted himself. I mean, Grandpa and I picked him up on Sunday and he stayed with us. Now Leah is on her way back, and she should get here tonight."

"Poor kid, and that asshole knows this?" She nods her head.

"Fucker! Yeah, no problem. I'll see you later, Bella."

"Yeah, bye."

I talk to Jasper and Ben about Jake and Seth. They're going to keep an eye on him. I tell Seth to call me if he needs me, or if he just wants to talk. I let him know that I'm going away for the next ten weeks, and that Ben, Jasper and Emmett will watch out for him.

Seth is only fifteen, and his mom has breast cancer. She's going through chemo. It's hard going, just her and Seth. Leah is at college. Sue, Seth's mom, told her that she needs to stay and get her education and that if she came home, she'd find herself homeless,

Sue's a strong woman. She'll fight tooth and nail to win this fight. I hope she makes it for Seth and Leah's sake, as much as her own. She stuck up for Seth when he came out and said he was gay. A lot of La Push was very unhappy with him. She told them to go fuck themselves.

When I get home, we have dinner. I'm still worrying about Seth. I know that Jasper, Ben, Emmett, Alice, Angela, and Bella are looking out for him. I go to bed. Esme has packed my bag, and I am ready to go.

After a long flight, I am in Chicago. My dorm room is more like an apartment. It has a living space with a kitchen attached, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, so I know that I am sharing—probably with some douche. I hope he's a tidy douche. I'm here for Music Appreciation. There are a hundred of us, ages from sixteen to nineteen. Out of the hundred, only seven are girls. Thank God for that. I'm not gay, even if most of the school thinks I am but I don't want any bullshit girls hanging on me.

I just date older girls; college girls. I do not do one night stands. I like to know a bit about the girl before I stick my cock in her. My first was when I was fifteen, she was twenty-one. We dated for six months. I've slept with seven other girls, and dated them for three to six months. The youngest was twenty-one the oldest was twenty-six, and none have been girlfriends. I stopped seeing them when I got bored with them and don't feel anything other than friendship. Since I get bored easily, nothing has lasted for more than six months. I'm thankful that I've only had seven girls to fight off. I'm not being cocky, but girls seem to love me without knowing me.

I'm looking around my new home. Well, home for the next ten weeks, when I hear a familiar voice say, "Edward, what –"

I turn around. "Bella?"

Someone interrupts her - "Good! You're both here! I'm Mr. Turner. There are an uneven number of girls here this year, and since you and Bella know each other and go to the same school, we thought you could share. We have spoken to your parents, Edward, and your Grandpa, Bella. They said they are happy if you share, but there are rules. Bella, you're only sixteen, but, we gave you a pass to come here because we heard great things about you. Make sure you stick by the rules. Let one of the teachers or staff members know if you are going anywhere. You each need to stay in your own bedroom. No hanky-panky, or we will have to contact your parents to come get you. While we wait, we will go over the 'birds and the bees' talk. Understood?"

Both Bella and I turn around and say yes at the same time. Mr. Turner leaves. Bella is standing there, bright red, looking down.

This is going to be an interesting ten weeks. Sharing with Bella is going to be fun. I'll get to know her as we share the apartment. I should get to know her pretty well. Unlike that dipshit Jake, I just find her interesting. Yeah, she's pretty, but I just turned nineteen. She's not seventeen yet. Well, not until September thirteenth.

Okay, okay, so I know her height, weight, and birthday. I saw her driver's license. I am not a stalker.

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**A/N: Well since this is a repost, it should post fairly fast. We did not change the storyline, but we did work on fixing the tense, spelling, sentence structure and overall quality of the story. We hope that you enjoy this story, it was the first we wrote together. Thanks to all of our valued readers and reviewers, it is because of you that we continue to post and write stories for you all.  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Lots of questions about Edward's age and why he still has a year of high school to go. We ask you trust us, his story comes out and the age and lateness of his schooling will then make more sense. **

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**Chapter 2: Getting To Know Her**

**June Twenty-Third.**

"Looks like were room-mates then," I say as cheerfully as possible.

"Yeah looks like it. Um … so about food, did you want to split it? I don't mind cooking, I actually like cooking. I'm not amazing like your mom, but I can cook pretty well—or, do you want to make your own stuff? I am happy with whatever you want. As for the apartment we can each keep our own rooms clean, and clean the bathroom after we use it. I can take the kitchen if you want me to cook. You can keep the living room clean, or we can do whatever you think is best. Um … I am not OCD, or anything. I just like a clean place. I mean if I am living here, and we are going to be here for what ten weeks? Yeah … so … uhm," Bella says this in one breath.

She has never been scared of me, I wonder why she's so nervous. I need to put a stop to her rambling, before she passes out due to lack of oxygen.

"That's fine, I can't cook to save my soul. Sharing the groceries, and having you cook the food is great. I am sure you're a fine cook, and I eat just about anything. I am happy to keep my room clean and the bathroom after I use it, unlike you I am OCD. When it comes to where I live it has to be a clean place. I hate messes," I say, giving her my best crooked grin.

"Cool, okay. Do you want to go shopping later? I don't have very much to unpack, so whenever you're ready let me know. Do you have a rental car, or do we need to take the L?"

"I have a rental, a Volvo, it's parked outside. Let's get the food first, and unpack when we come back. I am starving after all that talk about food."

We made it down to my car and head to a Super Wal-Mart.

"So Bella, I Never expected to see you here. What instruments can you play?" I ask her.

"Oh well, I can play the saxophone, guitar, and the violin. I can sing a little too. Nothing too great or anything, but I can hold a tune. Reverend Scott knows Mr. Turner and he gave me a reference. What about you, I know you can play the piano what else?"

"Well not to sound cocky, but I can play pretty much anything. I seem to have a gift when it comes to music. I love the piano the most, also like drums and guitar."

We shop and talk about how we got here. It's strange how Bella and I were on the same flight, but I was in first class, so I did not see her. I picked up my rental, but Bella took the school provided bus. I told her I would drive her for the flight returning home, since we have the same flight back. Hm, I may have to see if I can get her upgraded to first class with me. I would rather sit with Bella, than the cougar I had on the way here. I know I like older women, but not that old. She must have been at _least_ fifty.

Bella and I spent almost two hundred dollars on our shopping trip. Of course I pay for it, and I tell her she can pay the next time. We make it back to the apartment and unpack. Soon it was time to head to the main hall for our welcome speech and grand tour. The place is pretty nice; there are sixty apartments like ours. Fifty for the students, and of the other ten six are used to house some of the teaching staff. Five teachers live off campus.

The campus is updated nicely. There is a gym, dance hall, music hall, and indoor swimming pool. Bella and I are talking and helping ourselves to the snacks and drinks set out when a strange looking girl and boy come up to Bella and myself.

"Hi, I'm Jane and this is Alec we came here last year. I'm from here, well about twenty miles northeast. I haven't seen you before, are you new to this? Where are you from?" She asks while batting her eyelashes at me.

Jane pretty much pushed Bella out of the way, so she can stand next to me.

"Oh, hi I am Edward and this is Bella," I say pulling Bella closer to me. I'm a dickhead, maybe I should let her know that.

"This is our first time here. Bella and I are roommates and friends; we're both from Forks."

"Oh! So did you come here together then?" She asks while staring daggers at Bella.

_Lucky us! It looks like we met the bitch of the music group already, great!_

"Yes we did. Well, it was nice meeting you both, but Bella and I have to get going we've got stuff to do. Bye," I say as I turn, bringing Bella with me.

I see Alec as I turn, who never said anything the whole time. What I notice when looking at him, I don't like. He is eye fucking Bella, with a stupid look on his face. I turn to see if Bella noticed and she's sort of looking at me. Bella turns her body, so that she has her back to this Alec douche. I take her hand and move us away from the strange pair.

As we are leaving Alec grabs Bella's hand. "So I will be seeing you real soon Bella, we're going have so much fun in the next few weeks. Well, I am anyway," he says as he goes to kiss Bella's hand.

Bella quickly snatches her hand from his grasp.

"I'm sure you'll have lots of fun with "Rosie Palmer" and her five sisters, but try not to have too much fun. You wouldn't want to get the 'yanker your wanker' cramps," she says. Giving him her best bitch brow, she turns and walks away.

I laugh and catch up with her. "Wanker cramps?"

She shrugs her shoulders and asked what I want for dinner. We settle on lasagna and salad, with chocolate cheesecake for desert. Bella said she was not too bad at cooking. She lied, she's fucking great at cooking. Almost as good as my mom—okay she's at the same level as my mom—I just can't tell my mom that.

"Bella that is the best fucking cheesecake I've ever had." Bella blushes at the compliment, thanking me.

"I have an idea, how about twenty questions?" She asks me, and goes on to explain the rules before I answer. "I'll ask a question, you answer and I will too. Then you can ask one, and we both answer. I think we should get to know one another better, since were living together. I don't know much about the real you," she says. She was looking down the entire time she was talking.

"I am up for that. Okay, so you go first," I say.

"What is your favorite color?"

"Dark midnight blue," I smile turning to her.

"Well, mine changes from time to time. It depends on what mood I am in. I know that's strange, but hey, I am strange. Today it is jade green," she says.

"That's not strange. I understand what you mean," I tell her.

We go back and forth; we've been at it about two hours when I finally gather the courage to ask her, "Bella why don't you date Jacob? I only ask because, when you first came to Forks you were friends. Then after the second summer you came back, you weren't really talking to him. You don't have to tell me, I'm just curious. It seemed like just before the holiday you two looked real close and most people thought you where dating…"

Bella holds up her hand to stop my rambling and she sighs. "Edward, you're rambling. If I tell you it can't go any further than these four walls. You can't bring it back up, or anything like that. Okay?" she asks.

I nod in agreement.

"I mean it, you can't tell anyone. I also want your word that you will not go to Jacob about it."

Again I nod my head in agreement.

"Okay, well that summer I found out the reason people thought we were dating. Jacob was telling people we were. You and Jacob have never been friends, but he has changed a lot over the past three years. I was mad at him for telling people that, he had no right. I told him that I didn't want to date anyone. I had been through so much. I just wanted to get the real Bella out you know. I wanted to be me. I didn't want to be Renee's abused daughter, or the poor girl that lost her dad. I sure didn't want to be someone's girlfriend," she says taking a deep breath.

After taking a sip of her water, and another deep breath she goes on.

"Anyway, Jacob was not happy. He thought I had a crush on Emmett, which I didn't. He kept saying that I wanted to be with Emmett. Then, he started on about you, and how you keep looking at me. I was so pissed off, this was something he and I had talked about. I told him that I was not interested in Emmett. That you were not looking at me, and that he was being paranoid about it. I told him if you were looking at me then that was your business and not his. He got real angry and said that I should kiss him. He said he knew that I felt something for him. He refused to listen to me, and I wasn't getting anywhere with him. I went to leave and he grabbed me and kissed me. I tried to fight him off, but as big as he is he was hurting me, when I was fighting him off," she says, again stopping to get another sip of water. I can see how nervous she is, so I do my best to look relaxed.

"After he stopped kissing me he was so pleased with himself, he told his dad that we were dating. He didn't even notice, or care that I was crying. I just ran. When I got home I told Charlie what happened, and that I didn't want to see or talk to Jake. Since then, much more has happened. If I tell you, you can't tell anyone I told you this. Please don't tell anyone," she begs.

I am stunned that Jake had done something like this. I have a really bad feeling that what she's going to say is much worse. I nod my head again in agreement, and cross my heart.

She smiles. "During the summer he kept calling me, accusing me of things when I refused to spend time with him. He started to think that you and I were dating. I don't know why he thought that. The only time we talked was in class working together. He said we look at each other all lustfully and lovingly. That is one of the reasons he is always after you, sorry about that."

I take her hand and clasp it in mine, tracing small circles on the back of it. "Don't worry about that, go on tell me the rest," I say.

"He chilled out a little, but still called me a lot the rest of the summer. Once school started back up, I had no choice but to see him daily at school. We need to jump to about eight months ago, it was after the game. Tanya started picking on Bree and I got in between them, so Bree could walk away. She was a few minutes in front of me, as I headed to my car. Mike came out of nowhere and cornered Bree, trying to touch her. He was saying it was her fault we lost the game. Saying that she looks so sexy, he couldn't keep his mind on the game. He said she owed him for losing; I caught up and pushed him away from her. I told Bree to go to Rose and Alice. As she left Jake and the others showed up. Tanya asked Mike if he had fun with Bree, he says no, and that I stopped it. Just then you guys showed up, and you come over and ask if everything okay. You pulled me away and walked me to my car. I didn't hear anything from any of them, the rest of that night."

"I am glad I was there to save you, I worry about them and the way that treat people," I tell her. She pats the back of my hand that is still holding her other hand. This girl is amazing, she was the one that was hurt, possibly violated, and she is comforting me.

"I knew Jake was pissed. Sunday night I was just leaving the library, when I got cornered by Mike, Tyler, Eric, James, Sam and Jake. Jake starts going on again about how I was cheating on him with you. How I fucked up Mike's mojo, and I owed Mike a blow job. The next thing I know I am on the ground on my knees. Jake had a hold of my hair, telling me that he's going to stick his cock in my mouth. He goes on to tell me that each of the boys would get a turn. They all just laughed. As he began to unzip his fly, I told him if he put anything in my month I was going to bite it off. Jake lost it. He started hitting me and kicking me. Tyler and Eric said that they just meant to scare me. They tried telling Jake that he was getting out of hand. I don't know how I did it, but I got in my bag. My Grandpa had given me a taser and pepper spray. I used the taser, hitting him in his groin and got away. My Grandpa took me to the hospital; Jake broke my wrist and four ribs. Demetri took my statement, and Gramps kept me home from school the next day. Demetri came back saying that he couldn't press charges. Our headmaster and coach both said that the boys were at practice and it couldn't have been them. He suggested that I must have been mistaken, or hurt my head and couldn't remember correctly. He said none of the boys looked hurt, or showed any signs of me using the pepper spray or the taser. I was told no further action will be taken."

"That is bullshit and completely unbelievable," I almost shout out. Bella pats the back of my hand, squeezing my fingers a little with her other hand. I can see in her face that I need to be quiet and let her finish, so I go back to making light circles on her skin with my thumb.

"Moving on to the holidays, it was Thanksgiving time. Sue asked Grandpa and me to dinner; we always have a good time there. Bree and her parents were there too. Sue sends us kids out so she can make dinner. Leah, Seth, Bree, and I went for a walk. We headed past the river to tell Grandpa and Bree's dad that dinner will be ready in thirty minutes. As we were walking, Jake and the others showed up he tried to talk to me, but Leah told him to fuck off. Sam pulled him away telling him not to worry, he will get the chance to talk to me. Grandpa and Bree's dad got mad and started shouting. Bree flipped out and pushed Jake. Since he'd been drinking he fell in to the river. You already know the whole leech story. Bree picks up a pill bottle that came out of Jake's pocket when he fell, it was steroids. This explains why Jake has changed so much, both physically and mentally. To cut the story short, our great headmaster, Aro Volturi, coach Felix Hunter, and our friendly neighborhood police officer Demetri Maxwell have been supplying half the football team with steroids."

"For how long?" I ask. I am sure the look and sound of shock are clear.

"Only God knows. That's why they lied the day I got attacked. Jake's been warned to stay away from me when in school. Paul has been trying to get away from taking the steroids, but can't. He says he's scared. I know that doesn't make up for the shit that he has done, but we all make mistakes. I didn't believe him at first, but a few months back he told me where they were meeting up, so I hid and listened to them talk. Jake was supposed to be captain. But because of my complaints about him, and the fact I told the coach he was taking steroids they were making you captain. Jake got angry again, saying how I was going to get what's coming to me. They said that was fine, he just had to wait a year to get me. Aro said he'd make sure I didn't get into good college, he'd make sure I stayed close by. So anyway, Jake can't touch me. Yet," she says, raising her eyes to look at me.

"Edward say something please. I know that you, Jasper, Emmett and Ben haven't taken steroids. I trust you."

"What the fuck! You are telling me our headmaster, coach, and the assistant chief of police are giving drugs to half the football team. God, well it kind of makes sense. I can't believe it was Jake who attacked you. Didn't Tanya attack you too?"

She shakes her head and I can see the tears going down her cheeks, even with her head turned to the side.

"Fuck Bella, don't cry. I'm not angry at you. God, but this is fucked up. We really need to tell someone."

"Yeah I know that, but I need proof Edward. This is the reason Grandpa paid for this for me, to get me away for a short time. We have to try to get proof; it won't be easy. They know that I know, and they're being careful around me. I didn't mean to tell you all this, and ruin this for you. I don't know why I told you, I shouldn't involve you in this."

"Fuck Bella, yeah I need to know. This is my fucking team," I say as I take a deep breath. "Okay, look, we can't do anything right now. When we get home I want to see everything you have so far. We can work together to get this dealt with."

"What? No! Didn't you hear me? Aro is going to stop me from getting into a good college. He is going to make sure I stay in Forks. Edward you're up for class valedictorian, don't fuck that up because of them, or for me."

"Well, it looks like we're at an impasse, Bella."

"Yeah it looks like we are, but I have ten weeks to make you change your mind."

"So do I. Look, it is getting late, let's leave it here. I will not say anything more on it tonight. We will pick this back up in ten weeks."

"Fine, night Edward," she says lightly.

"Goodnight Bella," I say as I watch her walk to her room.

I go bed, but can't turn off my mind. This is fucked up. It makes everything fall into place, the way they get away with so much bullying. They are always getting better grades than what they should get. The only thing I can't work out is why I get blamed for everything. Why do they have it in for me? I only got a place on the team because they need numbers.

A part of me hates that I know this, but I know that I would have kept at her if she didn't tell me. I know she left some stuff out, and I will get it all out of her soon. I need to talk to my dad about this.

We don't always see eye to eye about my future. He wants me to be a doctor like him, but I want to write music. My real father had a computer company called Masen Enterprises. I want to do more than just own it, I want to be able to run it too.

The company is my last link to my real father. I wish my dad would see that. I could run it, as well as write my music. He seems to think that I am disrespecting him by not wanting to be a doctor. I just don't any have interest in medicine. I don't think I could handle dealing with death.

I slowly fall into a restless sleep, my mind filled with all of the uncertainties surrounding the things I learned tonight.

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**A/N: So what are your thoughts on some of the things going on back in good old Forks, Washington?  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**All normal disclaimers apply.**

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**Chapter 3: Fun at Music Camp**

**July Tenth.**

Bella and I have been here just over two weeks now. We have kept to our word and have not talked about Jacob, or what's been happening at school. The issues back home have been in the back of my mind and I'm angry about it.

Bella was badly hurt; it could have been much worse, though. What they did to Bree was bad and how Mike talked to her has pissed me off.

I have thought about what possible boys could replace the people on the team when the shit comes out. It looks like we will be down about eight players. That only leaves three starters plus the four we have in reserve, which means I need to find at least four more.

Seth will work well and he is pretty good. One issue about Seth that worries me is the fact he has asthma; hopefully it won't be a problem. When we play for fun during the summer, he can last for about half the game. Anyway, I will need at least three more. Argh…my head hurts just thinking about all of this.

On a much happier note, Bella and I have got along well and have become great friends. Bella admitted that one of the reasons she only talks to me if I speak to her first, was because Jake would start-up again.

I think back to when Bella and I did our class project together, Jake was more of a dick towards me. Also, it seemed during that time that Tanya and Jake would go out of their way to pick at Bella.

Bella and I spend most of our time together now. We are in the gym working out. I never noticed before, but wow Bella has a great body. Glancing at her I could see that she had curves in all the right places. The spandex bike shorts and midriff baring crop top she is wearing are accentuating her curves nicely. She has a really sexy ass, cute little belly button and those full breasts … SHIT … stop thinking like that.

"Bella, I'm going to hit the pool, you want to join me?" I ask. I am thinking the cool water from the pool is a good idea, especially after my previous thoughts.

"Nah, I'm going to go in the sauna and relax for bit. See you in class at eleven."

"Okay Bells, see you then."

Strange, we work out three times a week, but every time I ask her to join me in the pool, she says no. I don't think I have ever seen her near the pool. Hmmm…I really need to ask her why. I know it has nothing to do with being seen in a swimsuit.

I mean, I have seen her in her underwear and bra. That was a simple accident, but she didn't freak out. I walked in on her when she was getting dressed one morning, I blushed saying sorry. Bella was pink with her flush, but she said that it was okay. It was just the same as seeing her in her cute pajamas, but since then, I always knock before going into the bathroom.

"Well hello there, Eddie. I see your lap-dog left your side. It's real cold in here. If you join me I know how we can get heated up."

I turned in time to see that scary Jane girl take off her swimsuit. EWWW!

"Jane if you are cold you should keep your suit on," I tell her, keeping my back to her.

"Eddie … Eddie … Eddie, but this how I'm going to make you all hot," she purrs.

"No thanks Jane, I'm not interested. I'm just going to go. Jack is here. I'm sure he will help you out." I leave very quickly.

Thank goodness I turned before I saw too much. God, she really scares me. I head out the door, and before I get too far I can already hear them going at it. Yuck, maybe I will skip the pool for a while, too!

I get dressed and make my way to class and take my seat next to Bella. I told her all about the experience at the pool, and she laughs at me. "Yeah go ahead and laugh, it's not funny. God, I think I'm going to be scarred for life. I'm going have wash my eyes out with bleach and shit," I told her.

"Come on 'EDDIE', are you telling me you weren't turned on even a little tiny bit?" She asks in her pretend Jane voice, while continuing to giggle.

"No, not if she was the last woman on earth. I would start batting for the other team before I went there." Bella almost falls off her chair laughing, but we stop horsing around as the teacher comes in.

"Bella, are you okay, do you need some water?" our teacher, Mr. Steps asks Bella. Her laughing had turned into a coughing fit, now she's turning bright red from being called out.

"No…no, I am fine, thank you," Bella squeaks out, then faces me and gives me her best bitch brow. God she is cute doing that.

"Okay class, I want to break you into groups of two to five people. You will have to write a song, both words and music. Only the people in your group can play the instruments, and the lyrics must be your own original composition.

Your group will have to perform the song in six weeks, at a school wide assembly. The music can be prerecorded for the performance, but the song must be sung live. Again, if the music is prerecorded, it must be members of _your_ group who played it. Your performance must last four to ten minutes. You may do one long song or two short songs. However, they must be all original. It will be judged by all of the teachers. The top group will win dinner out at a luxurious restaurant, and tickets to attend the theater production of their choice.

Choose your groups now, and report them to me. You have five minutes to work it out; anyone left will be put into groups of my choosing."

"Bella, do you want to work, with just me?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I was about to ask you the same question. Let's go tell him now," she said with a big smile.

We were the first group, and were given the okay. After the five minutes was up, there are twenty-five groups total; nine groups of five, eight groups of four, seven groups of three and then just one group of two.

I don't really mind some of the people here, but most of them are small minded. I would say that ninety percent of these people are snotty upper class. The other ten percent are all higher middle class, but still have their noses in the air. For some reason they see Bella as low class. I think they judge her on her clothes, and nothing else.

Besides that, she is clumsy, but musically she is perfect. No one besides me wants to be in a group with her. I had a few ask me to join them and dump the loser. One kid told me she would most likely fall and that I will never win if I group with her. I give them a smile and tell them I am happy with Bella. Thankfully, Bella didn't hear them asking me, some people are just rude.

We are eating a late lunch or an early dinner, depending on how you look at it. We have been working on our songs for the past two hours.

"Okay, I think we should take a break from this. Do you want to play a game?" She asks.

"Sure, a game sounds fun. How about we play truth or dare?" I say to her.

"Edward, there are just two of us. The game won't be much fun with just us two; don't you think you will get bored?"

"Hell no. Come on are you kidding me? It'll be fun," I told her.

She shook her head. "Fine, but I am going first. You asked for it, truth or dare?"

"Dare," I say smugly.

"Okay, you have to do this: strip to your boxers, go down in the elevator singing the theme to Flash Gordon. Pick up the bust of the dean, and come back up still singing. If anyone asks you what you are doing, you have to say that you are Flash Gordon and you're taking Ming to jail."

"What? Are you nuts?" I ask. _Shit, what have I __gotten __myself into?_ I thought she would go for something easy like eat something gross. I am really glad Emmett isn't here.

"Come on, you can't back out on your first dare," she teases. I strip down and start singing. The whole time thinking, please God, don't let anyone see me. I got all the way down and back up without anyone seeing me. Just as I was about to enter our door, Miss Seamen, the head of cleaning staff, sees me.

"Edward! What are you up to? Why do you have the dean's head?" She asks, all while her eyes are trained on my crotch.

"My name is Flash Gordon, and I am taking Ming to jail. Take care good lady," I say.

While I speak, she approaches me and starts to rub her hand up and down my body. I jerk back.

"Okay I have to go. I've got to save the universe."

"Well Edward, you have a nice package, but I think I should take the dean's head back down the stairs."

I see Bella standing in the doorway, laughing silently. I pushed it into Miss Seaman's hands and go inside. Bella's now lying on the floor rolling around, laughing so hard she has tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Okay little one, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to go with me up to the main hall, to the party. Do a dance to whatever the first song is that comes on after we get there."

"What? You know I can't dance. I am going fall and break my neck."

"Bella are you trying to get out of the dare?"

"No, I need to go and put some clothes on, or do I have to do it in my bed clothes?"

"I will let you change," I tell her.

Five minutes later we are headed to the main hall. Every Saturday they have a party. It is what they do every year, to keep the teens from trying to go to local pubs. Bella did not go to the first two parties, I went last week. It was boring; I spent about an hour there and then I left. We get there and I pull Bella to the middle of the dance floor. 'Pump It' by the Black Eyed Peas is playing, it's just about to end.

"So, you ready?" I ask her.

"As much as I will ever be," she replied.

_'B-L-A-C-K-E-Y-E-D-P to the E, then the A to the S_

_When we play you shake your ass_

_Shake it, shake it, shake it girl_

_Make sure you don't break it, girl_

_Cause we gonna'_

Bella groans and takes off her shoes, throwing them at me and heading to the center of the dance floor. I can't help but laugh at her as she begins dancing. She is blushing so hard that it is covering most of her exposed skin.

_Damn, Bella can really dance well._ She thinks she can't dance, but she has attracted just about every male in the place. All the guys have turned and are watching Bella; if possible, Bella is now even redder. As the song goes on, Bella steps up the belly dancing and rolling of her hips.

My eyes are just about coming out of their sockets. Watching her has turned me on. Then I notice that I am not alone, several of the guys are practically drooling over her body. Watching her moves, I realize this dare backfired on me. Every other male here, even the gay ones, are checking her out. The song comes to an end and guys were surrounding her, I had to drag Bella away from all the horny boys.

"Wow Bella, you said you couldn't dance?"

She blushed again, choosing to ignore my question and saying truth or dare as we get back to our apartment. I play it safe after the last time and say truth.

"Tell me the names, and ages of all your sexual partners, and how long you dated them. What kind of things did you do?" she asks.

"Why do you want to know that?" I ask her.

"Just come on, answer."

"Okay, my first was when I was fifteen, she was twenty-one. Her name was Emma and we dated for five months. The next was when I was sixteen and she was twenty-six, her name was Alisha, we dated for four months. Then, there was Beth. She was twenty-two and I was sixteen. Then there was Tara when I was seventeen. She was twenty-one and we dated for three months. Paula was twenty-three, I was seventeen and we dated for three months. Rachel she was twenty-six, I was seventeen and we dated for four months. Hope was next, she was twenty-five I turned eighteen while we were dating for six months. Then lastly was Sarah, she was twenty-six, I was eighteen and we only dated for nine weeks. I have been single and not seeing anyone for the past four months. I slept with each of them after dating for at least a month. All of the girls thought I was nineteen and a student at UW. I usually went out twice a week with them while dating. I took them out to dinner or movies, things like that. When I was dating them it was not just about sex. I ended it each time because I never felt that connection. I mean being with them was good physically, but there was always something missing."

She sat back, taking in all I had to say, but never said anything. After a few minutes of silence, I restarted the game.

"So Miss Swan, what will you choose, truth or dare?"

We go back and forth and she's got a real sick sense of humor, she and Emmett would get along well. It's my turn again and she chooses dare; I smile at her

"I dare you to skinny dip in the pool," I tell her.

She turned white instantly.

"What … come on Bella, you made me go down stairs naked to get a pizza."

"It's not the naked part I am worried about, Edward. I can't go into the pool. Please don't make me." Bella is looking like she about to cry and is shaking all over.

"Bella, please tell what is wrong with going into the pool?"

"I can't swim. I have never learned," she said, still sounding quite frightened.

I laugh, trying to lighten the mood. "I can teach you to swim, for the dare you can just stand in the shallow part for a few minutes then come back out."

She was still shaking. "Edward, I can't. I am terrified of the water, please…I…I can't even take a bath without having a panic attack."

"Bella, please tell me what happened, why are you are so scared of water?" She violently shook her head no. "Isabella, you will tell me why you are afraid of water," I say in a domineering voice.

"God shit, okay … when I was eight my dad Phil was driving in a bad storm. I was in the backseat, the rain was heavy and my dad was trying to get us to a hotel. We were about forty minutes away from one when the storm first hit. I remember that he was angry and was talking to someone on the phone. He had just hung up and told me to calm down. He said we would be at the hotel soon. I didn't even know that I was crying. He had turned his head to talk to me; he didn't see the truck coming over to our side of the road. The other driver was pulling a sixteen hour shift. His boss was mad that he was running three hours behind due to the ferry being delayed. The driver was tired, but kept driving try to make up for lost time. Visibility was bad and the storm was slowing everything down. Frank, the driver, told my gramps that his boss said that if he was late then he would lose his job. Frank's wife was nine months pregnant with their third child. He needed the job, so he kept driving, trying keep up the normal speed. Frank fell asleep, my dad did not have a chance to stop, or even move. He was looking at me; the truck hit us on our side. Our car flipped many times and went over the embankment and into the river. I just remember the water filling up the car so fast. One minute I could breathe and the next, I couldn't. Then I am out of the car and on a sandbar in the middle of the river. My dad is yelling at me to wake up, and stay awake. We were on the sandbar for what felt like forever. The storm kept getting worse, and the wind was really bad. The rescue crew arrived, and they sent down a rope and my dad put it around me. The storm kept raging more and more. As they were pulling me out, I kept getting dragged under by the undercurrent. My dad was swimming next to me, and kept pulling me up. Then there was a loud crashing noise, and a tree on the river bank was hit by lightning. The falling tree crashed down right beside me, it hit my dad. Some branches hit me, but I had the rope. The rescue workers pulled me back up after I went under the water again. I must have blacked out because the next thing I knew I was on the river bank, with the fire crew. They did get my dad out, but he was already dead. He drowned saving me; he gave his life to save mine. I hate water. I always wanted to be able to swim, but I panic as soon as get in."

I knew Bella's dad had died. Everyone knew that, but God, I never knew about that shit. I feel like an asshole even coming up with that dare. "Bella, I am so sorry. I didn't know, _really._ I feel so bad now. Shit Bella, has your grandpa Charlie tried to go with you? Have you tried to go swimming?"

"No, he doesn't need to see me like that. When I was thirteen Jake took me swimming. He tried to help me, but he didn't understand how hard it was for me. He thought that it was funny when I panicked. He spent more time laughing at me than helping me. I think that he just wanted to see me in a swimsuit. He knew that I had almost drowned when I was eight, but not the full story. I never tried again after that."

I think I could help her if she wanted me to, and I really want to help her get past this fear. I know a thing or two about panic attacks, so I am going to try.

"Jake is a stupid dog! Bella, I am going to change your dare. Here is what you have to do instead. You have to stand in the shallow part of the pool for three minutes, but I will be right there with you. I will hold your hand, I will hug you, whatever you need. I want to help you get over this fear and show you that not all guys are douche bags like that damn mutt."

"I will have a panic attack," she said in an extremely scared voice.

"I know some stuff about panic attacks and triggers. I have them too, so maybe I can help you out. I promise to keep you safe. I will help you learn to swim, if you still _want_ to learn. Trust me, I will not let anyone or anything hurt you," I told her.

She nodded her head just a little bit at this idea. I know that I can look up ways to help her. Tonight my goal is to show her that she does not have to fear water. Trusting me to keep her safe will help. I need to show her that I will keep her safe. This will help her to trust me to teach her to swim later down the road. It's all about baby steps.

"Swimming is something we can work on later on. I will not push you too much, but I think I can help."

"Does it have to be today?" She asks sounding alarmed.

"No! We will work on it over the next six weeks. We can work on getting over the major fear first and build you up from there. After we get you some skills with us being in the water together, _then_ you can try on your own. Each week I will put a little more space between us, and by week seven you should be able to be in the water alone. Oh, and you don't need to be naked, since I will be there to hold you. We need to get you in the pool and get comfortable with that first, before we get to the learning to swim part. As I said, I will be right beside you the whole time and every time we are there. We just need to do it very early daily or very late at night, so that it is just us."

"Okay, I am not promising anything, but I will try."

"Good, that is all I can ask for."

"You know Edward, you should work with the F.B.I.," she says.

"Why would you say that?" I ask.

She turned and smiled at me. "Well, it might just be me, but you give me this intense stare and just sit there, listening to me talk without interrupting. The look you give me and the way that you say Isabella, makes me want to spill my guts to you. You know it makes me want to tell all my dark secrets, even the ones I don't want to tell you. You could get a confession out of anyone."

"So you have dark secrets then, Isabella?" I say back in _that_ tone, while looking into her eyes.

"Shit no! I am _not _looking at you! La...la...la...I can't hear you! I am off to bed. Goodnight, Edward."

I can't help but laugh at her actions.

"Goodnight Bella, but I will find out soon. You _will _tell me," I say with evil laugh.

I know it's not just her, most of the girls I have dated have told me things they didn't want me to know. Emma was seeing three other guys, sleeping with all of us, and she told me. I know we weren't monogamous, but shit, it _still_ felt like she was cheating on me.

That was one of the main reasons I stopped dating her. Now she works as an escort and says she is really happy. She loves the sex and the money she makes.

With Bella off to bed I sit myself in front of the computer searching on Google. I would find out all the best tips to help Bella.

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**A/N: Hope you are all enjoying this story. Thanks for reading and reviewing.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy forth of July. Happy reading, there will be a couple of updates today to make up for no updates the past two days. Thanks for reading, please let us know what you think.**

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**CHAPTER 4: Fun at Music Camp, pt.2**

**July Eleventh**

It's Sunday and we don't have any classes today, so Bella and I are going out. It's nice to get away from the camp for a while. We are heading to the Hard Rock Hotel. I still have a dare to do. We get there and head for the elevator once were in, she hands me her list. Yeah, one-hundred and one things to do, in a crowded elevator, this is gonna be fun. She has highlighted two things for me to do, and I have to pick another three other things on my own. We are in the elevator for about five minutes before it starts getting crowded with traffic.

"Here goes nothing. If you don't hear from me you know that I have been arrested," I whispered in her ear. I turn to a middle age couple and grimace painfully at them for a few seconds, and then I start hitting my head. "Shut up, all of you just shut UP!" I twitch as I say this. The couple and the three other people look at me and get off as soon as the elevator stops.

"That was great did you see their faces?" She asks rhetorically, while laughing so hard I thought she would fall to the floor.

"Laugh it up little one I will get you back for this! On to the next one," I tell her as I wait for the next riders to join us on the elevator. It's another ten minutes before we get more riders joining us. I relax myself for the next one, putting on my scary face I turn around to face everyone.

"I must find a more suitable host body," I say in the most evil voice I can muster. Everyone even Bella goes white looking at me, just then the elevator stops and I turn and get off. The doors are about to close when Bella quickly comes out of her frozen state and jumps off. "Did I scare you there little one?" I ask, keeping the same evil voice.

She shivers, looking at me. "Knock it off! God…Shit…put that voice away!"

I give her my crooked smile. "Okay, so I get to choose the next one. What should I choose?" I ask myself loudly. We waited for the elevator; thankfully there are a few people on it already. I turn to a guy he looks like he in his twenties. He is busy eying up Bella, so he just became my next victim. I look right at him, smiling in a big doofus way.

"Will you be my fwiend?" I ask him in my best childlike voice.

He looks me up and down, "What? Fuck NO!"

I burst into tears well pretend ones, anyway. Bella steps up to help with the pretend breakdown, and hugs me. "Oh come on Eddie, I am still your friend, it's okay. He doesn't look like he would make a good friend anyway. There, there honey," she says as she rubs by back. She is still hugging me and all I can think about is she called me Eddie again. It is strange what that does to me when I hear her say Eddie. I normally get really pissed if anyone calls me Eddie. I will have to give this more thought later. The guy is still stunned and Bella is still hugging me and rubbing by back. Just as I am about to start laughing, I hear the other people saying mean things to the guy.

"What a jerk," some old lady says.

"How could you be so cruel to this sweet boy? He only wanted to be your friend," the man standing with the old lady said to the guy.

The guy just looked at us and them, unsure of what to say. Bella and I just quickly get off the elevator. As we do, the guy says something which I don't catch, but the woman in the elevator does and starts to hit him with her handbag. Bella and I start to laugh after the elevator doors close.

We decided to go for lunch before doing the last two parts of the dare. I must admit I am starting to not only enjoy, but like this dare. "A table for two please," I say to the hostess.

"Your waiter will be right with you," she says once we were at our table. Bella shakes her head as she leaves.

"What?" I ask her.

"Nothing Edward," she said. As she mumbled something that sounded like, 'I can't believe that you did not see the way she eye fucked you.'

We are looking over the menu when our waiter comes over. "Hello, I'm Robert, I will be you server today what can I get you to drink?" He asks, looking right at Bella and only Bella. I feel like jumping up saying, 'hey pal I am here too.'

"Bella, sweetheart, what would you like?" I ask seductively. Please, please play along. She looks at me smiling coyly.

"Oh, I'll have the cheeseburger, fries, and a Shirley Temple. You know how I love playing with the cherry stem," she says reaching out and putting her hand on mine. Yes! She playing along, as I mentally pump my fist in the air.

"I think I will have the same, and baby, you can have my cherry too," I say to her as I wink at her. Robert turns and looks at me taking our menus from us, he looks at our joined hands and leaves.

"What was that about…dear?" Bella asks me, smirking.

"Well, he is here to do a job, not chat up the customers. He was eying you up, and as your friend I thought that I would protect you. He didn't even think that we could be together, it was rude of him to do that in front of me."

"Well, that was nice of you, but what about the hostess? She was eye fucking you up as she brought us to the table."

"She was? Can't say I noticed," I say honestly. I was thinking back to see if she did, but can't even remember if she said anything other than your sever will be right out. I look up to see Bella laughing at me.

"What is so funny?" I ask her.

"You really don't see it, do you?"

"See what, Isabella?"

"Edward, you are hot! Gee, you would make it into the top five sexiest guys of the world list. There a really good chance that you would be number one. God, Edward, most girls want to date you, just because of how good looking you are. Count yourself lucky that they don't see everything else that you have got going for you, or they would never leave you alone."

"I don't know if I should be happy about that, or not. If everyone only sees my looks," I say trailing off leaving the rest unsaid as I think about what she implied.

"Edward, you have so much going for you. You respect people, you care about others, and you treat women really well. God, you open doors for me, help me in and out of the car when we go out, and you make me feel special and important. You always listen to what I am saying, and I am just your friend. That doesn't even include the fact that you are smart, sweet and kind. You also have that dangerous bad boy look, not to mention that sex hair too. There is much more that I can list, but what I am getting at is most, no make that every woman you come into contact with over the age of sixteen, who is available, will flirt with you."

"You don't," I say.

"That's because we are friends."

Just then, Robert brings our food and drink over.

"Well, is there anything else that I can get you?" he asks.

"No thank you," I tell him.

Bella and I eat our lunch. We talk to each other staying away from topics such as my looks. I don't know what to think about what Bella had said about me. Most women flirt with me and I know they do. But…Bella never has, even when we were not real friends. After we are done with lunch, we head for the elevator again. We are in it for about five minutes when the guy from earlier comes in.

"Hey Miss. sorry about earlier, I didn't mean to upset little Eddie here," he says as he ruffles my hair.

"Look, I am going cut to the chase. After you dump the retard come by my room. I'm in 267 and I'll show you a good time. You could be my nutty nurse," he says. As he lifts his hand, to touch Bella's face. She steps back from him, but he grips her hand. I am about to turn and hit him, but the elevator stop suddenly causing all of us to stumble a bit. He bangs into me just as the door opens.

"BAD TOUCH," I yell while pointing at him.

He looks at me then at the couple that was waiting for the elevator. It was the same couple from before standing there at the door. Bella grabs me and pulls me off, as the couple gets on. The old lady starts hitting him with their bag, yelling at him. As the door closes all I could hear was, "WHAT DID YOU DO TO THAT POOR BOY NOW!"

I quickly pulled Bella into my chest, hugging her to me. "Are you okay? God, I was so close to hitting him, how dare he touch you…" I am cut off in the middle of my rant, by Bella laughing.

"Jeez Edward, that was great. I don't think he'll be hitting on anyone soon. That was so much better than you hitting him. Come on, you have one task left."

I laugh, shaking my head at her.

"Okay, we need to go to the top floor and take the elevator all the way down, let's go," I say. We get into the elevator and I start singing.

_"I know a song that will get on your nerves, get on your nerves, get on your nerves, I know a song that will get on your nerves, get, get, get on your nerves."_

It takes about three minutes for us to get to the bottom, and I sing it over and again the full time. Ten people get on, but only me a Bella get off at the ground floor. Bella and I laugh leaving the hotel, and I put my arm over her shoulder.

"So, where to now?" I ask

We spend the rest of the day at Navy Pier, just as we are about to leave the guy from the elevator shows up. "Well, if it's not little Eddie and his bitch. I can see there nothing wrong with you Eddie boy. Because of you fuckers, I got kicked out of the hotel. All because of the stunt you pulled in the elevator."

"Well, I would say that we are sorry, but we're not. You were a prick, we did nothing to get you kicked out," I tell him.

"You said that I touched you, when I didn't. They think I am a sick pervert."

"You may have not touched me, but you did touch Bella and she didn't want you touching her."

"Well, talking about touching Bella, I think it's about time we end what I started don't you, Bella? So why don't you run along little Eddie, me Bella are going to have some fun," he said as he pulled her toward him.

Just as I am about to hit him, he drops on the ground screaming

"You stupid bitch, you broke my wrist!"

Bella stomps down, landing her foot on his maybe broken wrist. Still standing on his wrist she leans over. She grabs and pulls his ear. You know, the ear twister your mom does when you've been bad.

"You know what, you're right, that was fun! Now first, his name is Edward not Eddie. He does not like to be called Eddie! Secondly, you are a pervert. Does the word 'JAILBAIT' mean anything to you? I am still only SIXTEEN! Thirdly and lastly; if you ever touch me, never mind…make that, you ever touch a girl, boy or anyone else who does don't want you to touch them, I am going come back here and break your dick off! That's if you actually have one. Then I let Edward here kick your ass, and believe me when I say that he can take you." Bella stood up, but then bent back down. "Oh, just to let you know your wrist is not broken you pussy. Man it up a bit, would ya."

"What the fuck? How did you floor him so fast?" I ask her as we walk away. I can still hear him screaming in pain.

"I have taken martial arts since I was twelve. I used to go twice a week, after Jacob attacked me I started going four times a week. I know how to defend myself now. Shit, sorry if I made you feel bad I just..."

"Heck no Bella, I was about to hit him for you, but he was on the ground. I must say it was kind of hot to see that."

"You found my putting him on his ass wa…" Bella got cut off. As she started to fall, but I catch her before she hit the ground.

"Okay little one, I am giving you a piggy back ride, jump on."

"Thanks for caching me, but I can walk fine."

"Isabella, get on my back now. Come on this will make me feel better for not hitting that guy." I give her my lost puppy dog look.

"Oh God, not another look. Shit, you really don't play fair Mr. Cullen."

She jumps up on my back, and puts her arms around my shoulders.

"I never said that I did, little one. Come on, let's get back before you miss curfew, and get grounded. Hold on tight spider monkey," I tell her as she giggles.

As we head back to camp, I can't help thinking about the really great time we had today. Well, if you take out the whole shithead at the pier, but as I said, it was pretty hot see her floor that guy. It's good to know that Bella can defend herself, and I am really glad that she is here. She is slowly becoming my best friend.

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**A/N: Thanks for all of the warm reception to this story. Glad you're getting some laughs and enjoyment. Again Edward's age and such will be explained in the story.  
**


	5. Chapter 5

**All normal disclaimers apply. No copyright infringements intended regarding the use of Characters, names, places, or wording from the Twilight Saga. No copyright infringement intended on the use of any song lyrics, or quotes from books, speakers or any other copyrighted publication or production.**

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**Chapter 5: Facing Fears**

**16 July 2010**

I have been working with Bella on her fear of water for the past five days. She wasn't even close to kidding, when she said the she was terrified of water. The day after she told me about her dad and her fear, was the first day we agreed to try working through it. I had to see how bad it was.

I start to fill the bath up. I tell her to change into her swimsuit, and ask her to meet me in the bathroom. The tub wasn't even half way full, and the water was off. I help her stand in the water slowly, one foot at a time. After standing there for just a few seconds, she begins to panic. She starts shaking, and her breathing becomes irregular. It seems just the sight of the water on her feet terrifies her.

I have to lift her out as she was unable to move, her body had frozen up. I sat down on the floor with her on my lap, lightly rubbing her back as I whisper to her that she's safe. Eventually she calms down, but it takes almost an hour.

Five days later, here we are trying again. I'm determined to work on her fear of water. Bella has been taking some small steps, but she's not there yet. We have set up safe words for her, if she says caterpillar, she was okay, and could go further. Butterfly means that she needs to back up a bit, and dragonfly means that I have to get her out now. These words are more for the pool than the bathtub, but I wanted them in place from the beginning.

Right now, she is meditating, going to her happy place before we get into the bathtub. I really don't want to get into the bathtub with Bella. Bella likes her bath water really hot, and I don't. If I was a lobster I could be cooked in her bath water.

"Bella, are you ready?"

"Yeah, I'm coming, Edward."

She comes in the bathroom in her midnight blue swimsuit. God, she looks great in that color. It's now not only my favorite color, but my favorite color on her.

_Shit, I really need to stop thinking of her like that! She's only sixteen. Well, she'll be seventeen in eight weeks, but she does act much older than her age. Shit! No, she is just my friend. Stop the bad, bad thoughts, right now. _

Bella and I have been in the bath for twenty minutes now, and she's completely calm.

"Bella, I think tomorrow we should start going into the pool. You're doing fine in the tub. Now we need to take the next step. We will take our time, but are you okay with trying that tomorrow?"

"Yeah, but you need to stay right next to me," she says sounding unsure.

"Of course I will be there, where else would I be?" I ask.

It's midnight, and Bella and I have sneaked down to the pool.

"Close your eyes, Bella, and hold my hand. I will not take you far in the pool," I tell her.

"Sh…sh…sh…sure j…ja…just ke…keep a hold of m…m…me okay? Please, don't let go?" she asks and begs at the same time.

I have an amazing thought, a great idea on how I could get Bella into the pool.

"Come on, little one," I said as I took her hand into mine. I have an idea. "Do you trust me?" I asked her.

She opened her eyes, I give her my sly half-smile.

"No not at all, not when you smirk like that."

I arch my brow at her, and she giggles.

"Fine. Yes, I trust you, Cullen."

"Bella, stop trying to piss me off, it's not going to work, we're getting in this pool. I'm going to lift you into the pool. You have to put your arms around my neck, and your legs around my waist. We will be face to face. I'll have my hands at your sides at all times, okay?" I ask her.

"Hmm," was the only noise that she made.

"Hmm? What's hmm supposed to mean?"

Bella shrugs her shoulders lightly, while biting on her bottom lip.

"Bella, it will be better this way. I was thinking on giving you a piggy back ride to the foot point. However, with you behind my back, I wouldn't be able to see your face. I need to see your face, so I can see that you're okay. Also, it will give me the ability to hold you better, just trust me. Now, wrap your arms around my neck and jump up here, I will catch you."

"Edward I am too…"

"Stop right there. Do not end that sentence. If you do, I will not tell you why Alice got grounded. Oh, and either way you're going in the pool, Isabella."

"Shit, you really know that the rumors are quite entertaining. Okay, you win. You drop me, and I drown, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your natural born life."

As she wraps her small arms around my neck, I lift her up. As I feel her legs go around my center, I tell her to close her eyes.

I began to walk into the pool. I was glad that it is a zero entry pool, I wasn't sure I would be able to handle steps right now.

"Okay, well, this story starts on Friday, the twenty-eighth of May. You see Alice is an avid shopper, and she always hears about the best deals. She found out the Bloomingdale's store, in Seattle, was doing a big sale on the fifth of June. There were going to be loads of things fifty percent off. So of course she just had to go.

"Jasper, Emmett, and I all had an away game, and were not going to be back in town until noon that day. Rose was going to her grandma and grandpa's fortieth wedding anniversary, so Alice had to go alone. The sale started at ten that morning, she wanted to get there early. She planned to leave at six in the morning, planning to get there at eight. She planned to sit outside and wait for the store to open."

Bella looked confused at this point. She keeps her eyes closed but I can read the bewilderment in her features.

"Are you still keeping up with me?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I just don't understand one thing, if she left at six how could she get there by eight? Its like at least a three hour drive to get there, on a good day."

"Good point, you see Alice likes to speed, she likes driving fast!"

"Ah, I should have thought of that. After seeing how you drive, I take it that it's a Cullen thing."

I laughed loudly at her assumption. "Yeah, I guess it is. Anyway, back to the story. A little after three, a police car shows up. My dad of course immediately asked me what I had done, before answering the door.

"He then goes to the door, and there is Alice standing with the police officer. Dad told them to come in, and I was told to go upstairs. I didn't want to miss this, so I pushed our intercom on and ran upstairs."

"Oh, so you like to eavesdrop and be sneaky?" Bella says cheekily.

I chuckle and shush her, and then start back into the story.

"So, I hear the officer say he's Officer Stevens from Seattle. He said at 7:55 this morning he saw a yellow Porsche doing ninety miles per hour. The speed limit is only fifty-five. He went on to say it took Alice twenty-five minutes before she pulled over. My dad asks Alice what took her so long. Alice said 'I thought he was going for doughnuts!'"

Bella starts laughing and the vibrations from her laughs were making me hold her tighter to me.

I would have to figure out what her body was doing to mine later.

"So, my mother shrieks 'ALICE'. The officer goes on to say that he was going to give her a warning, but her smart comment ended with him taking her in. He also informed them that she had to go to court on Monday. My dad asked what was said. I hear the sound of papers shuffling then, and hear the officer say I wrote it all down."

"What did she say Edward?" Bella asks me and I can hear the amusement in her voice.

"Well, my dad read it out loud to my mom, it was funny. It went like this!"

I prepare myself to do the different voices, knowing that would make it funnier.

"The officer said to Alice: 'Hello ma'am I am officer Stevens of the Seattle police department, do you know why I pulled you over?'" I say in my best officer voice.

"'That depends on how long you've been following me,'" I say in my best Alice impersonation.

"'Well ma'am, you were speeding almost forty miles per hour over the speed limit. Is there a reason that you were going so fast?'" I say in my officer voice.

"'Yeah, of course. A really great sale at Bloomingdales, and you're delaying me. You're lucky this car needs a tune-up, or you would never have caught up to me,'" I say in my Alice voice.

"'I want your license, registration and proof of insurance…NOW,'" I say in my officer voice.

"'Fine. Here you go, doughnut boy. Oops, that's my fake one, here is the real license,'" I say in my Alice voice.

"'Step out of the vehicle ma'am, you are coming with me,'" I say in my officer voice.

"My dad stopped reading, I am sure it was because he was speechless. After about ten minutes my dad asked why he was not informed that she was taken into the police station earlier. Office Stevens said that Alice was eighteen, she had turned eighteen five days before this all happened. Alice was given a phone call, and he suggested that she call her parents. Alice refused for her parents to be called, and since she was eighteen they had to go by her choice."

Bella's shoulders are shaking slightly with her chuckles.

"Dad asked Alice who she called, thinking she called a lawyer. No not Alice, she made a call all right, but not to an attorney. Alice used her phone call to call Bloomingdales to ask for some of her favorite items she saw on their web site to be put aside for her to pick up later. Then she proceeded to throw a temper tantrum when they told her no.

"Officer Stevens told my dad that her car is at the City of Seattle car impound lot. The multiple fines and towing fee would have to be paid in full, for them to pick it up. He went on to say that Alice spent three hours in the cell, before he felt so sorry for her he brought her home. My dad thanked him and showed him out. As dad closed the door, Alice said I think someone should tell him that the uniform makes his ass look really big.

"My dad yelled asking her why she was driving so fast. She told him that she slept in, and then got a flat tire. So, she had to make up some of the time she lost. She went on to say that, because of officer ass-hat she didn't get to go to the best sale ever, and that he should have been out catching real criminals. At that my dad lost it.

"Now mind you, Alice has done number of things over the years, but being daddy's little girl she got away with most everything, and dad has never raised his voice to her. So, after him yelling at her, and taking all her credit cards away from her, he told her of her punishment. He told her that she will be doing chores both at home, and at the hospital to work off the cost of getting her car out of the impound. He yelled that if she was lucky enough to keep her license, she still would not be able to drive her car until our first semester back at school."

I can feel Bella laughing again, and she was trying hard not to. The vibrations of her muted giggles makes that current flash across my skin yet again.

"Oh-My-God! Sorry that I am laughing, I feel bad for you. It must be hard living with her. I know how much Alice lives for her car, shopping, and Jasper," she says.

"You know her pretty well. Yeah, I am glad that I'm here and not at the house right now. She was getting a bit scary before I left, Norman Bates kind of scary too."

This causes more chuckles from deep inside Bella's tummy, and that vibrated right across my lower abdomen.

"Anyway, the next morning, both Alice and dad blamed me, for not taking her. Dad was even going to ground me before my mom told him it was not my fault. He was going to keep me home from here. Mom stood up and told me to go pack, and demanded that my father talk to her right now."

"Now, how was it your fault you weren't there?"

"Yeah, but he thinks that I have been a bad influence on her, for the fact that I speed most of the time. Then because I did not take her, he apparently forgot I had an away game. "

"Yeah, but you're also smart enough to know not to talk like that to an officer. Did she not think that saying shit like that would get her in trouble?"

"I'm not sure, Alice gets away with so much. She talks to Emmett, Jasper, and me like that a lot. Dad and Jasper tend to turn a blind eye to it."

"Well, I think your dad should look in the mirror when he is looking for someone to blame. If only he would just tell her no, and not cave when she gives him her puppy dog looks. God, I know that she has done some shit, maybe not all as bad as you and Emmett, but she's still done stuff and never has to deal with the consequences," Bella points out.

I laugh at Bella's outlook on the situation. "You know that is what Mom said. Mom told dad that he was not to blame me, that this was all Alice. Alice is the one that spoke to the officer like that and not me."

I start to feel a little sad at the thought of how my dad sees me. Bella must have felt something, because she opens her eyes looking right at me.

"Oh shit! We are really far in the pool Edward. You said…"

I felt her start to panic, so I squeezed her to me tighter and started moving out of the pool.

"Bella, calm down I've got you. I am not going to let anything hurt you, I am right here. Just take deep breaths, in for four seconds, hold for four, than exhale for four. Come on love, I will do it with you."

We were at hip deep water when I stopped wading into the pool. After a few minutes of breathing together, she was calm.

"Hey, this isn't so bad," she said finally.

"Do you think you can stand on your own?" I ask her.

She tightens her grip around my neck and buries her face into my neck.

I chuckle at her reaction.

"Do you think you've done enough for tonight, or would you like to stay a bit longer?" I ask.

"Yeah, I think I am done. I don't want to push it too much, let's go and get some hot chocolate and cookies."

"That sounds like a plan to me," I tell her.

I take Bella out of the pool and hand her a towel.

"Hey, Bella, you're doing really well! You're going to be swimming in no time. Well done! You did not freak out back there," I praise her.

"That was because of you, Edward, you keep me calm."

"No Bella, it was you. I just gave you the steps, but you chose to take them."

We make it back to our apartment, and have our hot chocolate. It's so easy being with Bella, I've never felt so at ease with anyone else. I could be myself with her, and not worry that she would look at me and see anything or anyone but the real me.

"Hey Edward, are you afraid of anything?"

"Nope nothing," I tell her.

"Come on, Edward, tell me what you're afraid of. I told you my fears."

"Okay fine, I am afraid of baked beans," I say as, she laughs.

"What? Baked beans? Come on!"

"Seriously baked beans," I tell her.

"Okay, so if you are, then why…why are you scared of baked beans?"

"Bella, I live with Emmett, who loves them! Did I mention that at one point I shared a room with him? You'd be scared of baked beans too, if you were around him."

Bella's cracking up so much I think she may fall off the sofa.

"Shouldn't you be scared of Emmett breaking wind, instead of baked beans?"

"Yeah, but then everyone is scared of Emmett breaking wind. I don't like to be the same as everyone else, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm off to bed now, see you tomorrow Edward, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Bella," I say to her as I watch her go to her room.

I head to my bedroom thinking of what Bella asked. A part of me wanted to tell her my real fear, but that would lead to questions that I don't want to answer right now. I know I will tell her eventually, but it won't be tonight. I was going to help Bella with her fear.

A part of me knew she would help me with my fear, but I know wasn't going to be easy. How do you help someone who had a fear of being left on their own? I didn't mean on my own like have time to myself, I meant on my own. I meant having no one to turn to, when I need them.

I start to fall asleep, but I know tonight will be a bad night for me. My monsters are coming back, and I can't stop them.

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**A/N: So what do you think of Alice? She is a bit of a wack-a-doodle in this story, and Carlisle is a bit of a jerk. What are your thoughts?  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is which gives some back ground as to why Edward is a full year behind in school. **

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**CHAPTER 6: The Past**

**EPOV**  
**August 7, 2010**

Bella and I got to know each other really well. Right now we are sitting in our apartment on the couch. I have my arm around her waist, and she has her head on my shoulder. We sit like this most nights for the past few weeks.

"How you feeling, you've been pretty quiet today?"

"Today is my dad's birthday. I'm just thinking about him. When I think of him, I think of how he died and that makes me think of my mom."

Bella sounds really sad and I didn't like Bella this way.

"I am so sorry. I know you still really miss him; what was he like? You know you can tell me."

"He was a great Dad. I love him and I miss him; he and my grandpa are my heroes. I only saw my dad two weeks out of every three months, but they were always the best. My mom, Renee, is not much of a mother. She makes me feel like I was in the way all the time.

"Did you know that Phil was a baseball player?"

"He was?" I ask.

"Yeah, his last name was Dwyer."

"What? Your dad was Phil Dwyer, the same Phil Dwyer who played for the Seattle Mariners?"

"Yeah, the very one," she said sadly.

Holy shit, I did not know this! Phil Dwyer was one of the most sought after baseball players of our time. I remember he died in an accident about ten years ago.

_Shit, of course, she said her dad died. _

"You see Renee went to a game, she was able to get his autograph for Charlie. She flirted with him and he was nice to her. The next night was another home game, so she searched him out again. She flirted and one thing led to another."

Bella takes a deep breath, turning toward me and continues.

"Anyway, Renee was in love, but Phil was not. Renee began stalking him; she followed him everywhere. She would scream at girls that he was with or talking to. She even taped his phone calls and intercepted notes from other women. He was going to press charges, but dropped them when he found out that she was pregnant with me."

I could see the hurt on her face, as she tells me the rest of the story.

"Renee was still in love with him, and could not get over the fact that he only came to see me. I think that is why she dislikes me so much. Phil showed me so much love and never gave her a second thought. In the beginning, she just ignored me and left me on my own, but when Phil was there she was the loving mother."

I could really see the anguish in her eyes now, and know this is a very painful thing for her to talk about.

"Phil took me to the park and a meadow; it was our meadow. He even tried to teach me how to play baseball, but I was not very good at it. But, I was always his special girl. He made sure Renee had plenty of money for me; none of which I ever saw."

Thinking of how her mother deprives her of things makes me feel angry. I take a deep breath and hold her hand as she continues on with her story.

"Anyway, it was the week after my eighth birthday. Phil could not make it that year; Renee started going on about how he had a new girlfriend. She was ranting and raving about how they would have a baby and that he would not love me anymore. I was standing outside in the backyard; it was pouring rain. I was only in my underwear and she was yelling at me, because I had asked to call him. She was so busy yelling she did not hear the front door, or that someone had come in the house."

I could see that she was embarrassed to be telling me such graphic details of her childhood.

"It was my dad. He was so angry at her, he pulled me inside and told me to go change and pack a bag. I don't know what happened, but on the way back downstairs I saw that my mom was crying. She had a red handprint across her face, and she kept screaming at him that he could not take me."

I can see that the aftermath of the violence she witnessed was still deeply etched in her soul.

"Anyway, he picked me up and put me in the car. While he drove, he told me over and over again that he loves me. He explained to me that he does have a girlfriend, but she was not pregnant. He then told me that he would always take care of me, and that I was going to live with him. He was planning on taking a few months off, to help me get settled. That was the night that he died."

I could see the small tears trail down her cheeks. I reach up and wipe them off and caress her cheek, showing her I was there for her.

"Renee was so much worse to me after that. She kept going on about how I cost her the love of her life. She started hitting me, and did so a lot over the next four years. In that period of time, she managed to break a couple of my ribs, an arm, leg and my ankle."

_I want to find this woman and beat her. How could anyone do something so traumatic to this _wonderful,_ beautiful girl?_

"She completely lost her grip on reality. She thought I was a demon out to get her. She stopped taking care of herself; she didn't even bathe or eat. She started drinking heavily, and doing illegal drugs. Sometimes, she even forgot that my dad was dead, because she was so out of it. She did not let me go to his funeral. To this day, I have still never been to his grave. She refuses to tell me where it is," Bella sobs out the last part.

I pull her close to me and just hold her for a few minutes.

"Bella, you do not have to go on with this right now."

"Yes I do, it will be better to get it all out now," she says.

I pull her back away from me a little and smile at her, and again wipe away her tears. She smiles lightly at me, and starts to carry on with her story.

"It was grandpa who ended up saving me. He caught her when she was trying to wash the demon out of me. She had a knife to my abdomen when he walked in. She was arrested and sentenced to eight years, but she isn't in prison. She is currently in a psychiatric hospital right now. They think that she was so obsessed with Phil, that she saw me as the other woman. Then he was with me when he died, so she lost it completely. She blames me for the loss of Phil, and thinks he would still be alive if not for me."

It saddens me how much Bella has been through. We all know that Renee abused Bella. Most of us think, or I should say hear rumors. I know I had been told long ago that Renee just left her unattended and did not feed her very often.

"Your dad saw me the first week I was in Forks. He said that I would not grow much more, if at all. He said I would always have weak bones, because of the abuse, lack of food and sun," she says.

Bella starts to laugh at this point. I cock my head to the side, giving her a worrisome look.

"Yeah, I lived in one of the sunniest places, but Renee only let me out to go to school. The rest of the time I had to stay in the house. She sent me to school a year early. I am not sure why she told everyone that I was a year older. She almost had me believing that I was older. I was sent to summer school, too."

_I am pretty sure I know why she sent her to school early. She did not want the responsibility of taking care of this lovely girl in front of me. I have never hated anyone as much as I hate Renee right now._

"When I was home I had to stay in my room. I only got to eat when I was at school. That is because one of the lunch ladies saw that I did not eat, and asked me why. I told her I had no money, so she started to pay for my lunch. Renee could not get free lunch for me, because she had such a huge settlement from my father's estate. That money is supposed to be mine, but Renee used it on drinking and drugs. I know my dad loved me; he tried to save me twice and he ended up dying."

"Shit, Bella, I am so sorry for what you've had to go through."

"Edward, it was not your fault, but thank you for listening to me."

"Anytime, Bella," I tell her.

Shit, she shares so much of herself with me, maybe I can share some of myself with her.

"Bella, I'm sorry but I lied to you," I say.

"What do you mean, Edward? When did you lie to me?"

"When you asked me what my fear was. I told you baked beans, but that's not true."

"It's okay, Edward, I kind of figured that out. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, I want to, it's just hard. Please just listen to me. It may take me a bit of time to tell you."

She nods at me.

Well, here goes nothing. Hopefully, she will not run from the room screaming.

"My fear is being on my own, I mean, like not having a companion. Going without someone I can trust and love forever. I'm not sure I can find someone who would love me, for just me." I take a deep breath and it feels like a weight has been removed from my shoulders. I now realize, admitting it out loud is half my battle. She remains silent, allowing me the time I need to finish.

"I'm not sure how I can learn to trust that someone will not just want me for my looks." I stop for a minute because she chuckles.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I am teasing. I know that you are a great looking guy, but to hear you admit it is kind of funny."

"Well, it's not just my looks that make me worry. I have money, like a shitload of money. Money attracts users, and I want someone to love me and be with me because they love _me_, not what I can give them or how I look." I sigh again, and pinch my nose.

She rubs her hand along my back and I feel the true compassion in her touch.

"You know, Bella, it's more than just that. I want unconditional love. I am scared of love, because so far, for me it has always held conditions. I just want that elusive unconditional love. You see, when I was six, at Easter that year, my mom was reading to me before bed. The story she chose was _Kevin the Very Old Rabbit_ by Gordon Dioxide."

I run my hands through my hair, but feel Bella grab my hand. I could sense that she understands this is going to be hard for me to tell.

"As she was reading the story there was a loud banging on the door. My mom quickly went to the window, and she looked frightened when she turned around. She told me to hide in the wall. You see, there was a hidden panel in the closet that led to a secret room."

I drop Bella's hand and get up. I pace back and forth for a few minutes and recollect my thoughts. Sitting back down and again facing Bella, I pick up her hand.

"She said she would meet me in the secret room and to stay quiet. She could not fit through the closet entry, and had to enter through the pantry entrance. I was quiet and left the door open so she could get in and lock it, but she never came."

I squeeze Bella's hand as she runs her other hand across my chest and up my neck to my cheek. Just her small actions allow me to keep going.

"I remember hearing loud noises and my mom crying. I could hear three or maybe four different male voices. I did not recognize any of the voices, except my mother's. I must have been hiding there for a few hours or so, when I heard my dad. He sounded very angry and was yelling, too. I stayed where I was because I was scared. I must have fallen asleep after a while, because I was stiff and sore when I was startled awake."

Again, I start to get fidgety, and Bella soothes me by rubbing her hand across mine.

"I was woken by loud bangs, about six of them. I did not know then what it was, but I do now. It was gunshots. After a few hours of not hearing anything I came out. I found both my parents. They were dead. Whoever was in my house shot them each in the head and heart. I could not call for help, I was too scared. Three days later, maybe more, they are not sure exactly, I was found. I was severally dehydrated, and it took seven months before I spoke to anyone. I only spoke then to tell Alice to shut up," I say with a chuckle.

"Esme and Carlisle kept me home from school, and we moved to Forks. I was only in kindergarden, because my mom kept me home until I turned six. When I started school in Forks, people thought that Alice and I were twins, since we were both in kindergarden. Everyone assumes that I'm a full-blooded Cullen. Anyway, apart from not talking much, I suffered mostly from nightmares. The nightmares stopped by the time I was ten. I thought I was back to being normal. Just after I turned thirteen the nightmares started again; I was very angry." I take another deep breath and run my free hand through my hair again.

"This is embarrassing, but at thirteen, I started pissing the bed from fear of the nightmares. This was the same timeframe of starting high school and meeting Aro, our great and grand principal. I started getting into so much trouble. Let's just say I was not his favorite student. As the year wore on, I became the town bad boy, stealing, drinking, smoking and breaking curfew." I smirk and wiggle my eyebrows at her, trying to lighten the mood.

"I admit that about forty percent of the things they say I did were me. But, I ended up taking the rap for a bunch of shit I did _not _do. Things turned really bad when I was seventeen. I was drinking nearly every weekend. I was going to parties; Mom and Dad never knew where I was. They tried several times to talk to me, but I just pushed them away and kept them out. I was angry about so many things; I was sick of getting blamed for shit that I did not do. I really acted out and did some damaging things to get more attention. I was the one who took Aro's office and transferred it to the football field. I smashed up his new car, and I must admit I really liked doing that. Those things I did not get caught for, though. As you know, I have a record for actual bodily harm. Nobody from school ever asked if I did it, or why." I laugh out loud, as she shakes her head.

"Edward, I know for a fact that you did get into a fight, but I know that the other guy must have done something big for you to do that."

"What makes you think that? Everyone knows I have a problem with my temper."

"No you don't; you are quick to show your temper, but you don't have a problem."

I immediately start to take offense to her words. "Isabella, I fail to see the difference."

"Well, showing your temper is a normal human process. Acting out because of your temper is another story. You are actually quick tempered, meaning you can quickly set your mind without much thought. Having a problem with your temper would mean that you lose it. If you had a temper problem, you would solve it by going straight to the hitting, smashing or in your mind, justifiable damage for the situation. I have seen you many times going into a bad mood, but not letting it over-take you. Remember when I fell on your new bike last year, knocking it over and it got that scratch on it? You didn't hit me, you didn't even shout at me. You just helped me up and asked if I was okay. Later that day you did not even give me a death glare, or say anything mean to me." She sighs as she holds my face so I'm looking right at her.

"Even when you're telling off the bullies, you're pretty nice. I have only witnessed you hitting one of the bullies a few times. You don't have a problem with your temper. People like Jake, have temper problems."

"I never thought of it like that," I tell her.

"Well, you better start thinking of it like that. Anyway, tell me about that guy you beat up so badly, what did he do?"

"He was hitting his pregnant girlfriend, in the parking lot. He smashed her head into a car, she was bleeding badly. I only wanted to get her away from him, so she could see a doctor. When I tried to get her away from him, he tried to hit me. He was yelling things at the girl, calling her a slut. I lost it, you see, that is my trigger. Seeing someone getting beaten and called names, makes me so angry. One of the only reasons I walk away in school from fights, is I don't want to disappoint my parents. I get angry and want to beat up the bully, but then I see the faces of my mom and dad."

I take a deep breath and hold both Bella's hands. "Sadly, after I knocked him out and took the girl to the hospital, the next day I was arrested. I was charged with bodily harm, my dad paid the guy off to get the charges dropped. My dad lost faith in me that day, he never believed my story. He took the word of strangers over me. I don't get why the girl lied for that guy."

I sit there making circles on the back of her hands with my thumbs.

"I got sent to therapy. I must admit it did help me some. I stopped drinking and smoking as much. Even after I calmed down, I still got the blame for shit though. It is like a downhill process, and my word is never good enough or trustworthy. At one point I was being brought home by the police once a week or the police were coming to look for me. That's why my dad thought that the police were there for me the day they came home with Alice," I say with a chuckle, thinking of Alice being in trouble.

"Anyway, I get blamed for shit and they're on my back all the time, twenty-four hours a day, and seven days a week. I just want to get away, so I started going to Seattle. I just have more space, and that just makes everyone get off my back. They still ask what I am doing, and where I am going. I have my own apartment in Seattle; I just hang there. I spend every other weekend there and all school holidays. I also work at one of my real father's companies. I have been working my way up from the bottom. There is only one person at the company who knows I own it. I may be their boss, but I wouldn't call me a boss yet. I haven't told anyone in my family about this, Dad never liked my father. Dad tried to get me to sell all of my father's companies when I was fifteen, but I said _no_. I know I should tell them, but I can't. I would love to hear my dad say he's proud of me." I shrug my shoulders and Bella pulls me close and hugs me.

"I am proud of you," she says.

I smile at her, as I pick her hands back up.

"I love my dad, he is a great man, but I fuck up so much and he's lost his trust in me. I hate the way he looks at me now; you can see the disappointment. I got myself the bad boy reputation, which I really don't want."

"You don't have a bad reputation with everyone," Bella smiles and says.

"My therapist, Peter, thinks that all of this is adding to my fear of being on my own. He says because I see myself as 'unlovable,' I jump from relationship to relationship. I freak when females start to ask me things about me. I pull back and move on to the next female." I grimace as I say this, thinking of when I told her my sordid past with women.

"Peter thinks this is also why I choose older women. Older women tend to date for a while before moving to that girlfriend-boyfriend stage, where high school girls tend to be there after the first date. He told me after I broke up with the last female I dated, to not date again for at least eight months. Peter said instead, I was to try being more open with family and friends."

"How is that going?" Bella asks me.

"Well, it's been about sixteen weeks; so halfway there and you are the only person I have been able to open up to. Apart from Peter, that is," I chuckle.

"Peter Smith?" Bella asked

"Yes, how did you know?" I asked her.

"I see him on Mondays, and since I've been here, I've been calling him every other Monday."

"What time on Mondays do you go to see him?"

"Five," she says.

"Really? Shit, I'm in at a quarter to four. I must just miss seeing you there then. Wow… that is strange," I say.

"Why don't you talk to your family about this?"

"It upsets them, hell, they didn't even know about the whole bed wetting when I was thirteen. Incidentally, I don't do that anymore," I say as I laugh.

"I'm not really sure why I don't talk to them. I just don't want to get too close. The pain of loss is a hard thing to bear. I already feel like a fuck up for failing them by getting into trouble. Just like I feel like a fuck up for failing my parents. If only I would have called for help, instead of just sitting there waiting for help to come to me."

I stop to catch my breath; I have tears running down my face. I hate showing so much emotion. Shit, I couldn't believe I was crying. Fuck, I need to get away. Bella did not need to see an almost fully grown man crying about his fucked up life.

Before I could get up, Bella moves herself onto my lap, and has her arms around my neck.

"Edward, you were six. There was nothing you could do. You did the best thing you could have. Your mom died knowing she saved her son. Just like my dad died knowing that he saved me."

She never let go of me as she spoke. She just hugs me tighter and tighter.

"I spent a year thinking, if I had just been able to swim, or if I never asked Renee to call him, but you know what? I can't change what happened. I have to move on and forgive myself, so that I can live my life. I'm living my life for him, and for me." She pulls back enough to look me in the eyes.

"You have to forgive yourself. You have to live for yourself and your parents; it's what they wanted. You're a good person. You've made a few mistakes, so what? On the grand scale of things you're a pretty decent guy. Not very many people stick up for others, especially after they get in trouble the first few times they try to help. Most people would stop helping, but you don't."

She kisses my cheek and hugs me to her again.

"You working in your father's company, and starting at the bottom, is something most people wouldn't do. Most would want to start at the top and boss everyone around. You show common sense, and that you care for other people. I'll always be your friend and will always be there for you if you need me. Shit, I'll stand by you no matter what, you're my best friend. You'll always have a place in my life," Bella tells me.

"Thank you, you're my best friend, too," I say as I hug her back.

She kisses the top of my head. We stay in the same position for most of the night. We didn't really talk anymore, just hugged each other. Well, after I knew she fell asleep, I lift her and carry her to her bed. Lying her on the bed, I cover her up and kiss her cheek.

"Thanks, Bella, for being here for me," I whisper into her ear and kiss her once more.

I was glad that I talked to Bella and told her everything about me. She knows more than anyone, except Peter. Shit, I couldn't believe that Peter was right about this, now I owe him fifty bucks. Peter said I would find someone I could trust enough to open up to. I guess that went to show you to never bet against a therapist. Maybe it just worked because it was Bella. I don't know why but I trust her with my life.

I fall asleep and I hear those voices again, but this time it wasn't my mom they are after, it's Bella. I was back in the hidden room, but I can't get out. Bella screams for help. I can hear them laughing and hitting her, but no matter how much I try or how far I run I end up in the safe room. I need to help her—save her—why can't I find her. Suddenly, I feel someone touch me, someone whispering to me. I want to move away from it, but my body won't respond. I can feel the person hugging me, whispering again and again.

"You're safe, you're okay."

As I open my eyes, there's Bella beside my bed holding me.

"Hey there, are you okay?" she asks with a weak smile.

"Sorry if I woke you," I tell her, while nodding.

"Nope, I had my own nightmare. I was up getting a glass of water, and I thought I'd see if you were awake." She looks down and blushes.

"I just want to sit for a bit. Maybe get one of your hugs; they always make me feel better. You know, just something to get the bad thoughts out of my head. But, when I came in I saw that you, too, were having a nightmare. I thought I could try holding you until you woke up, or it stopped. It always works when grandpa does it for me. Do you want me to go now?"

_No! I needed her to stay _

"What? No, you stay here. Lie with me. Hopefully, we can help each other with nightmares. No more talking about bad stuff before bed." I smile as I hug her to me.

After hugging her for several minutes, Bella rolls over and has her back to me. I cuddle up and spoon against her back and cover her side with my arm. Sharing a pillow with Bella, smelling her hair, relaxes me quickly. This is the first time in my life I feel completely safe. Cuddling up to her, I know she feels safe, too. As our breathing becomes more rhythmic, I think about how nice this really is and we fall asleep.

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**A/N: So Edward was pulled out of school in kindergarden, and missed a full year of school. When he went to school, he was virtually starting over and since he became a Cullen, everyone has always assumed he was Alice's twin. Hope this helps everyone understand how he is so far behind in schooling. Now, what do you think about the past you've learned about both Bella and Edward?  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. First song in this chapter is a song by Meatloaf. It's called 'What About Love' the second song is by Duncan James featuring Keedie. It's called 'I Believe My Heart.' These songs belong to those artists, and their writers, not us. No copyright infringement intended just these are two of Nikky's favorite songs.**

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**Chapter 7: Let's Make Some Music**

**August 20**

Bella and I are talking more about our pasts. We are sleeping in the same bed nightly now, too; it's helping the nightmares. She knows everything about me, and I know everything about her. The full disclosure agreement between us is a good thing. We keep to the whole _no bullshit allowed_ rule and we tell each other the truth.

She knows about my need to control safety issues. Yeah, I check the windows and doors three times each, before I turn in for the night. I also double and triple check everything before we go anywhere. If I have to go out, and Bella stays in, I have to make sure she locks the door behind me. Thank God she keeps me happy, and does it. She even did it before I told her how much it upsets me, and why.

We talk about how I have to be in control, even with the girls that I date. I always want to know where they are, and when they would be back. I would choose and order their dinners when we went out. I would be upset if I notice another guy checking them out. I figure when they are out with me, they are with me. I really think most guys are like that, right? I tell Bella about the time I freaked out on an old girlfriend, because her door was unlocked.

I even talk to Bella about my sex life. We talk about how I even have to control that. I never hurt any of the women I was with, but I did enjoy some forms of BDSM. After I dated Alisha, things changed for me a little. Alisha was a submissive, and got me to role-play with her. I find that I really enjoy tying up women, putting them at my mercy. It's erotic having them ask me for permission to climax. I love hearing them call me Sir or Mr. Cullen. I love it when the woman I'm with gives me complete control. I really enjoy knowing that the things I do, give these women some of the best orgasms of their lives. I will admit that it really turns me on, and it still does.

I almost shit myself when Bella turns and says that she can see me being a Dom. It takes me almost five minutes to ask how she knows about that kind of thing. She starts laughing, telling me that Peter is one. She found out a year ago, and was spooked by it. She looked into it, and found how it was different than the control she was used to. Like how her mom always controlled her. She said that Peter talked to her about it to help ease her fear. After they discussed it at length, Peter told Bella he thinks she may be a natural submissive. It is most likely the easiest explanation that Bella did everything her mom told her to do. See, Bella always followed her mother's rules to the letter, and she always took each punishment as if it was due. Bella says Peter also thinks that is why she adapts well when given rules. At first, her grandpa didn't want to give her many rules, but it never works for her, she needs them. Bella also feels as if she needs to be disciplined when she does things wrong.

I keep the thoughts of her being tied to my bed out of my head as much as I can. I don't know if Peter is right about Bella, but I know that I do have some Dom tendencies in my sexual appetite.

The only thing Bella and I don't talk about, is what is going on at school back home.

Bella and I are getting ready for our performance tonight. We went and picked out our outfits yesterday. All I know is that Bella is going to be wearing a midnight blue dress. She picked out a shirt she said is the same color to go with it for me. I am pretty nervous about tonight, we are doing two songs. The first one we are on our feet, and have to move around the stage. During practice, Bella fell many times, but she nails the dance routine in the middle of the song. She's never performed the dance with heels on, and she is wearing four inch heels tonight. I have to make sure that I keep a good hold on her tonight. I don't want her to get hurt. I am not going to let her fall.

So, I am standing here in black dress pants and a silky, midnight blue shirt. Bella asks me to roll my sleeves up to my elbows. She says that the teachers, well female teachers, will find my tattoo on my arm hot. She thinks we need all the extra points we can get.

"Bella, we need to head down in about five minutes," I tell her.

"Okay, I'm ready. I don't think I can get any better, this is the best I am going to look."

I turn around, and I see her standing there; she looks stunning.

"Oh, wow," I say.

Shit, she is so breathtaking; I can't even make words come out of my mouth.

_Wow, come on, Edward, pull it together, deep even breaths._

Standing here, her dress stops just above her knee. The skirt of the dress is full, and swings out as we dance. You know, one of those skirts that show off her long legs when I spin her. The top of the dress is fitted, hugging and accentuating her curves nicely. The halter top tie on the dress also gives her a more pronounced area of cleavage.

Her hair is curled and pinned at the side, so it will stay away from her face. The main part of her hair is still down just the way I like it. Bella has long, thick hair that reaches her waist.

Her shoes are a deep, shimmery blue, but the heel looks much higher than four inches.

Bella cocks her head to the side, watching me as I drag my eyes up and down her form. She smiles at me, and turns in a circle. Stopping and motioning for me to turn around, too; so I do.

"Wow, Edward, you're looking nice and sexy," she says with a big smile.

"Bella, there aren't enough words in any language to say how you look, but I will try. You look beautiful, stunning, _verbluffende, mooie, stordimento, belle_."

I stop myself for a minute, and take a deep breath.

"Fuck, Bella, really – there are no words in any language to say how good you look. Come on, we better go."

Bella blushes and looks down. As we are leaving I hear her say, "Thank you, Edward."

I place my hand on the small of her back, but feel only her skin and hair. I stop her, and move her hair to see that her dress is backless.

"Holy shit, Bella, don't go anywhere without me tonight. I mean, nowhere, not even to the bathroom. If you need to go someplace, tell me and I will come with you."

"Edward, I am sure I'll be fine. None of the guys have shown any interest in me. Except after that dance I did, I will be okay."

"No, Bella, the way you look tonight, they are all going to be all over you. I want to make sure you're okay. I don't want you to get hurt, please for me; let me look after you tonight. Please," I beg her.

I am willing to get on my knees and beg her even more, if it helps me get my way. I know every guy is going to be after her, she looks really good tonight. I had always thought she was a beautiful girl. Tonight, she looks so much more than just beautiful, and nothing about her said girl; it screamed sexy, vibrant woman.

"Yes, Edward, you can be my bodyguard tonight. I will let you take care of me," she says taking my hand and giving it a squeeze.

I love how she knows what I need, and I need this.

We make our way to the main auditorium and take our seats. Every guy has already checked Bella out. I leave Bella at her seat, talking with Mrs. Seamen, to get a program. The lineup of singers is listed in the program, and we need to know how soon we will be up.

"Edward, my man, who is that hot ass chick? She is smoking, fucking hot. You should bring her to meet all of us, and if you're not her type, you can give her to me. I'd like to get a taste of that," Matt states.

"First of all, you will be going nowhere near her. Secondly, that is Bella, you dipshit, talk about her with more respect."

"Fucking, no way! No wonder you keep that pipsqueak to yourself. What did you do, buy her some decent clothes? Fuck, I wish I'd known what was hiding under the shit she normally wears. I would have been tapping that hot ass eight weeks ago."

_Okay, this asshole was going down!_

"Edward, Matt, what'is going on out here? Take your seats now," Mr. White says. He's directing it at me as if I'm the troublemaker in the situation. I turn and walk back over, and sit beside Bella.

"Edward, are you okay? What was that about with Matt?"

"Nothing, Bella, don't worry it's fine. He just said something that he should not have said. Please, for me, stay away from him."

"Yeah, no problem there!" Bella said, as if the thought of being around him bothered her.

"We're last. I don't know if that's a good thing or bad," she says changing the subject.

"It will be good no matter where we are on the list," I say as I wink at her.

Hopefully, she would not fall; it's the only thing I'm worrying about. She's an amazing singer, one of the best I'd ever heard. I believe she's in the church choir. I may start going to church more often, so I could hear her sing.

We listen to the other songs, and some are really good. But, there were the odd few that didn't sound as good as they could have.

Bella and I make our way backstage, we're up next. We need to set up. Walking to the back, Bella stumbles a little, but I catch her.

"Sorry, Edward, I am going to fuck this up for you! Shit, I don't want to let you down," she says.

"Bella, I don't give a fuck if we come first or last, I just want to go out there and sing and dance with my super hot, sexy, beautiful, best friend. Let's go and show them how it's done," I say.

I kiss her head, and take her hand as we walk to the stage.

_Here goes nothing_.

We hand over our music for the first song.

_(Edward, Bella both)_

_There's a hole in the sky tonight _

_Did the moon _drift too_ far from _sight?

_I would search through this empty darkness _

_To see your face in the morning light_

_We've been lost in a sea of confusion_

_Got caught up in a selfish illusion_

_But make no mistake: I will bend till I break_

_Don't let fate make the choice for us_

_What about love that lasts forever?_

_What about time to see it through?_

_If you don't give you just don't get it_

_What about me?_

_What about you?_

_What about love?_

_Once in a lifetime you'll find someone heaven sent for you_

_For a lifetime you'll feel there's a reason to believe_

_In a love that's meant to be_

_It feels like we've fallen from grace_

_Given up on the higher thing_

_'Cause I know deep inside if we search we will find_

_Something to give us wings_

_What about love that lasts forever?_

_What about time to see it through?_

_If you don't give you just don't get it?_

_What about me?_

_What about you?_

_What about love?_

_I can't go on another day_

_Comin' home and seeing you cryin'_

_Can't stand another night_

_Of telling you I'm fine when I'm dying_

_Forever means nothing_

_To live without you_

_Is reaching for something that never comes through_

_Together is heaven_

_Apart we're in hell_

_The time for forgiveness is now_

_Once in a lifetime you'll find_

_Someone to share your dreams_

_For a lifetime_

_Our love will always set us free_

_Forever we'll believe..._

During the instrumental break, Bella and I start dancing. It's sort of a waltz step, mixed with some dirty dancing. Thank God, we nail it. At the end of the major dance steps, I kiss her head before spinning her off. She didn't fall and looks so graceful.

_I can't forget the feelin' of your sweat upon my skin_

_And the tremble of your body on the day you let me in_

_That happens once, only once in a lifetime_

_On a summer night's surrender with nothing to lose_

_You were scared and so was I when I gave myself to you_

_It happens once, only once in a lifetime_

_What about love that lasts forever?_

_What about time to see it through?_

_If you don't give you just don't get it_

_What about me?_

_What about you?_

_What about love that won't say never?_

_When you don't know what you can do_

_If you don't live you just regret it_

_What about me?_

_What about you?_

_What about love?_

That's one song down, and one to go. This song is at the piano, so both of us would be sitting. I pick Bella up and set her on top of the piano. She smiles at me, as I sit at the bench, and start playing the intro to the song.

_Whenever I see your face, the world disappears,_

_All in a single glance of, revealing,_

_You smile and I feel as though, I've known you for years,_

_How do I know to trust what I'm feeling._

_I believe my heart, what else can I do,_

_When every part of every thought leads me straight to you,_

_I believe my heart_, there's_ no other choice,_

_For now whenever my heart speaks, I can only hear your voice._

_A lifetime before we met, has faded away,_

_How did I live a moment without you,_

_You don't have to speak at all, I know what you'd say,_

_And I know every secret about you._

_I believe my heart, it believes in you,_

_It's telling me that what I see is completely true,_

_I believe my heart, how can it be wrong,_

_It says that what I feel for you I will feel my whole life long._

_I believe my heart, it believes in you,_

_It's telling me that what I see is completely true,_

_And with all my soul I believe my heart,_

_The portrait that it paints of you is a perfect work of art._

Yes, we nail both songs, and she did not fall. As soon as we leave the stage, she takes her shoes off. I pick her up and spin her around.

"You were fantastic and your voice was fucking amazing," I tell her.

"You've got a pretty sexy voice yourself," she says, smiling.

We are told to go and enjoy the party, celebrating the end of the summer music course. There are only six days left; they decided having the party tonight was best. Whoever wins the contest will be going out tomorrow. We set off for the party, everyone's there. It's kind of crowded, Bella isn't too happy about that.

"Okay people, now it's time to let you know who won," Mr. Turner announces.

"Third place runners up goes out to: Matt, Sheila, Josh and Sarah. Well done, you got seventy-five out of a hundred," he says as we all clap our hands.

"Second place runners up goes to: Keith, Sam, and Neil. Well done, you got eighty-two out of a hundred," he says among all the applause.

"First place runners up goes to: Edward and Bella. Well done, you got ninety-five out a hundred," he says as everyone again claps.

"The grand prize winners are: Jane, Alec, Sophia, Tom and Sally. Well done, you got ninety-six point five out of a hundred," he says.

The whole room is full of clapping, whistling, and people hooting and hollering. You could see that some people were disappointed, but that happens in all contests.

"Holy shit! We came in second! Out of the twenty-five groups we scored just five points shy of perfect!" Bella says jumping up and down with a big smile on her face.

They broke down each performance into five areas, each area could score a maximum of twenty points. The areas they were scoring on were: music, lyrics, singing ability, instrument ability, and overall performance.

Jane's dad and Sally's aunt were judges that may have helped her group win. I was proud though, because Bella and I scored really well. At least we know our score was completely our own and deserved; neither of us had family members on the panel.

"We did great, baby. I wish I knew where we lost those five points. I love being perfect," I joked.

"Yeah, I know you do," Bella said cheekily.

"Okay, I'm ready to go to bed. I have a ton of laundry to do tomorrow. I will see you later," she said.

"Shit, me, too; come on let's get you to bed."

"Edward, you don't wash your own clothes. I have been doing it for you. You can stay here if you want, I will still do your laundry, you know?"

"Yes, Bella, I do know and I thank you for keeping me safe from the demon washing machine. I still say it's out to get me, but I'd rather go and have a hot chocolate and a cookie with my friend than stay here and party. Come on, I said pointing to my back. Get on, you can't put those things back on again, and I am not letting you walk without shoes."

I bend down a little and Bella jumps on my back. We head off for the night and I'm making plans in my head for us tomorrow.

_I hope she likes what I'm planning._

* * *

**A/N: So what are your thoughts on the story so far? What do you think Edward has planned?**

_**Okay, the words that Edward said to Bella:**_

_**Verbluffende, which is Dutch for stunning/amazing**_

_**Mooie, which is Dutch for beautiful**_

_**Stordimento, which is Italian for stunning**_

_**Belle, which is French for beautiful**_

_**All translations come from Google translator, so sorry for any wrong translations. **_


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: All the Twilight stuff belongs to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The Candyman song belongs to Christina Aguilera – and Linda Perry, no copyright infringement intended.**

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**CHAPTER 8: Last Days at Camp**

**AUGUST 21**

I asked Mr. Turner for permission to take Bella out tonight. I want it to be a surprise for her. Normally, the camp staff wants to keep the younger students in after eight at night, but I asked if I could keep her out until eleven.

I told Mr. Turner that Bella cooks and washes my clothes for me. He seemed upset, and felt I was taking advantage of her. I tried to explain that Bella was very set in her methods, and wanted things to be done a certain way. Even after I clarified all of that to him, he still arched an eyebrow at me.

He called Bella's grandpa wanting to know the reason for her extra cleaning duties. Charlie explained that Bella did not like people in her kitchen, and took simple chores very seriously. He said that Bella always liked to be in control, and her way was the only way it should be done. In addition, he said he trusted me to watch out for Bella. After that whole situation was cleared up, Mr. Turner and Charlie changed the subject and continued to chat for a while.

Mr. Turner moved on to call my mother. While on the phone he mentioned to her about Bella doing my chores. She must have found it funny, because I heard her chuckling all the way across the room.

My mom filled Mr. Turner in on my household abilities, or lack thereof. By the time he heard about how I swore the washing machine went crazy and attacked me, he, too, was laughing.

I overheard her tell him how she came home to find me in a soap-filled room, and how the washing machine ended up travelling to the middle of the laundry room. She even told him how I managed to turn everything light pink. They had both cracked up at that, and Mr. Turner said he understood. Listening to them talking made me think about that day.

My mom said I put a red sock in the washing machine, but I have never, nor will I ever own red socks. As for the attack, she said that I overloaded the machine with both clothes and laundry soap. As a result, she laughed and never had me wash clothes again. Thankfully, she does it for me now. However, she always has to talk about the story and it is embarrassing.

By the end of the separate conversations with my mother, and Bella's Grandfather, Mr. Turner was trying hard not to laugh directly in my face.

Charlie and Esme both said they are fine with you taking Bella out. Though, Charlie said to remind you that Bella hates surprises, so make sure it's a good one. They said they would see you in a few days. Charlie asked that you give Bella his love, and your mother send hers to you both," Mr. Turner told me after ending the calls.

I know Bella hates surprises, but hopefully she likes this one.

I walk into the apartment, and find Bella singing along to _Candyman_ by _Christina Aguilera_. She's folding and ironing the clothes she'd previously washed today as she sings along. I'm a lucky sonofabitch. She even ironing my clothes for me.

'_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine_

_Candyman, Candyman_

_Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine_

_Sweet sugar candy man [whispered]_

_I met him out for dinner on a Friday night_

_He really had me working up an appetite_

_He had tattoos up and down his arm_

_There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm_

_He's a one stop shop, makes the panties drop_

_He's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman_

_A sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman'_

She's dancing around when I decided to catch her by surprise. I sneak up behind her, and when her hands were completely empty, I spin her to face me. I take a hold of her left hand and place my right hand on her spine. She looks shocked at first, and is even a little jumpy. As we start dancing to the music, Bella's cheeks flush with color. I love seeing the blush on her skin. I really enjoy swing dancing, and fuck, Bella's a great dancer. I never feel so at ease while dancing, but with her as my partner it all feels right.

"I can't believe I am dancing to this song with you," she said.

"Why, what is wrong with this song and dancing with me?"

She didn't answer as we continue to dance to the music.

'_He took me to the Spider Club at Hollywood and Vine_

_We drank champagne and we danced all night_

_We shook the paparazzi for a big surprise_

_the gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headline'_

"Come on, Bella; tell me what is wrong with dancing to Candyman with me?"

"Well, this is kind of your song. This is how women act around you and think about you," Bella said.

I notice that after she tells me this, her face turns from a slight blush, to bright red. I have a feeling she shares more with me than she intends. As we continue to dance around I listen more closely to the lyrics.

'_He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop_

_He's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman_

_A sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman_

_Se bop bop_

_Hey yeah_

_He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop_

_He's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman oh_

_A sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman_

_Woo yeah_

_Well by now I'm getting all bothered and hot_

_When he kissed my mouth he really hit the spot_

_He had lips like sugar cane_

_Good things come to boys who wait_

_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine_

_Candyman, Candyman_

_Sipping from a bottle of vodka double wine_

_Candyman, Candyman_

_Sweet sugar Candyman [whispered]_

_He's a one stop, gotcha hot, making all the panties drop_

_Sweet sugar Candyman [whispered]_

_He's a one stop, got me hot, making my uh pop_

_Sweet sugar Candyman [whispered]_

_He's a one stop, get it while it's hot, baby don't stop_

_Sweet sugar [whispered]_

_He got those lips like sugar cane_

_Good things come for boys who wait_

_He's a one stop shop with a real big uh_

_He's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman _

_He's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman_

_He's a sweet talkin', sugar coated candyman_

_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine _

_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine_

_Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine _

_Sippin' from a bottle of vodka double wine _

_Jane lost her grip and a-down she fell _

_Jane lost her grip and a-down she fell_

_Squared herself away as she let out a yell _

_Squared herself away as she let out a yell'_

"So, do I make your panties drop, Bella? Do I pop your cherry?" I ask her, barely recognizing my own voice.

"Edward, God you are a pervert. I knew I shouldn't have said anything," Bella states before punching me in the arm.

Damn, she has a great right hook.

"I am taking you out, Miss Swan. This is my way of thanking you for looking after my sorry ass these last several weeks. I am not going to tell you where we're going. It's a surprise. We are leaving at five," I say.

I quickly move away from her as she turns and stares at me. I smirk at her, and tilt my head to the side, raising an eyebrow waiting for her to protest. When she did not say anything, I realized I had rendered her speechless.

"Remember, Miss. Swan, five is when we leave. You have three hours to get ready. Wear a dress, please. Oh yeah, and Bella, pack a swimsuit, too."

As I turn to walk away, I could hear her mumbling. I didn't catch much, but it's something along the lines of, how I am going to get it.

As the clock nears five, I knock on Bella's bedroom door. The door opens, and the sight of her takes my breath away. Bella looks beautiful as usual, wearing a light pink dress. The dress is strapless and stops right above her knees.

"You look beautiful, Bella, like always." I tell her as I take her hand and place a kiss on the back of it.

"You look very handsome yourself," she says shyly.

"Come on, we should get going," I tell her as I lead her out of the door, and down to my car.

We make it to the dock in record time. Bella wears a pout on her face the whole way there, because I won't tell her where we're going.

"Okay, I am going to have to blindfold you. It is just for five minutes, please just trust me."

"Fine, it's not like I am going to win if we fight about it. Knowing you, you'll just use your seductive voice and lusty eyes, and I would cave anyway."

"Glad to know we're on the same page," I chuckle as I blindfold her and lead the way.

"Okay, you ready?" I ask her.

"Yeah, as ready as I will ever be," she says.

I remove her blindfold to show her what we'll be doing.

"This was my real father's yacht, it is named Lizzie. I asked Mr. Jeeves, who is the CEO of the Seattle offices, to arrange for us to have dinner on-board tonight. We will be travelling around Lake Michigan while we dine, and we can take in the sights of the city skyline."

The yacht is really nice. My parents mainly used it for dinner parties. I was glad I managed to get it for tonight. The staff had decorated it nicely. There were fresh flowers, and small white crystal lights everywhere. I had also hired a trio to play music. I was hoping we could dance more after dinner. I, of course, had the best chef available come in and cook for us.

"Edward, this is beautiful. Wow, I really don't know what to say."

"So, does this mean you like the surprise then?" I ask her.

"Yeah, I do. I really do, but you didn't have to do all this. Edward, I would have been happy with just a happy meal," she says.

"Yeah, I know that, but I wanted to. I have never been on one of my dad's yachts. I knew that he had one here in Chicago. When I checked on it, I found out that I have access to it at any time. So, I had it aired out, cleaned up, and figured I would check it out before I left to go back home. Who better to share this experience with me than my best friend?" I say questioningly without really expecting an answer.

Bella smiles up at me as we walk around the deck enjoying the scenery. We enter the inside of the boat as the captain removes the ties that held the yacht in place, pushing off from the dock.

After touring the inside, we sit at the dining table. It's quite a romantic setting, sailing around Lake Michigan with just the crystal lights and candles.

Dinner was lovely. We were served shrimp and crab soup to start. The main course was lemon-peppered chicken breast, with a house salad. However, the best part of eating was the dessert. I really enjoyed watching Bella as she devoured the triple-layered chocolate cake. It was quite amusing how a girl as small as she, could consume so much food. As well as watching her lick the remaining bits off her lips. We made some small talk during our meal, but mainly ate and enjoyed the music and the scenery.

Mr. Jeeves had also arranged a bottle of wine; we both had a small glass after dinner.

"Dance with me?" I ask her, after our plates are cleared away.

"I would love to," she answers with a smile.

We dance for most of the night, watching the sun set over the horizon. Bella dances very well. She simply lied to me about not being able to. She tried to explain to me that she never said she couldn't dance; just that she didn't go to dances. When I ask why she didn't try out for cheerleading, she made a comment that she would more than likely break her neck. I said with the way that she dances, that must be a lie, too.

I did everything in my power to dance as much as I could with her tonight, because dancing was one of my passions. Sadly, only my mother shared my love of dancing. Though holding Bella in my arms was much more comfortable. That was a nice thought, having a passion for dance and holding Bella. It made me smile.

It is almost nine o'clock, when we reach the dock.

"Are you ready for surprise number two?" I ask as I kiss the back of her hand.

"What? What do you mean surprise number two?"

"Well, Bella, I did ask you to bring your swimsuit, didn't I?" I ask her with a smirk on my face.

"Yeah, I thought that was something to do with the boat, you know swimming in the lake," she said.

"Bella, as much as I would love to do that with you, you are just not ready for that yet. Don't you worry your pretty little head, you will get to that stage soon, maybe next time. So, are you ready?" I ask her as I lead her to her next surprise.

"Are we going swimming in a pool?"

"Well, we're going in a pool, but I don't know if you are ready for the swimming part yet. This skyscraper right here is where we are going. There is a pool on the roof. We can swim under the stars," I tell her as I point ahead to the tall building in front of us.

"Wh…what…h…how?" She stutters out.

"I have connections," I say with another smirk.

I lead her inside, and to the restrooms where we could change. I kept a hold of Bella's hand until we got into the changing room. Before we part ways to change, I kiss the back of her hand again.

I quickly change into my board shorts and wait for Bella to come out of the restroom.

I paid the staff a good chunk of money to surround the pool with hundreds of candles. I was hoping that would make the atmosphere more relaxing.

When Bella walks out wearing her new swimsuit, I almost fall over.

Bella had gotten a new suit when we went shopping for the show. She's wearing a black bikini with small shiny silver skulls all over it.

I quickly grab her hand again, and start directing her to the pool area. I hear her breath hitch, when she notices how truly beautiful the area was. I'm very pleased with the appearance of the pool, and the music coming from the docking station is perfect. The staff had really outdone themselves.

We walk closer to the pool, still holding hands.

Bella is doing so much better in the water. She still holds onto my hand getting into the pool. I still stay close to her, and she knows to use her safewords if she needs them.

However, she has only had to use her safewords a couple of times, and I always carry her right out of the water when she does. When we are in the pool, we often hold hands, facing each other, and we enter the pool with me walking backwards, holding her hands.

"Okay, I am going to let go one hand at a time. I will be right here in front of you, you can do this Bella."

I let one hand go as we continue to walk into the water that is only about four feet deep. I stop, and wink at her and give her the smirk I know she likes.

"Just keep looking right at me, you are doing amazing, love. I am right here, and you're doing really well. Just keep breathing," I say as I slowly let go of her other hand.

I give her a few minutes to calm herself. I could see she's not as afraid as she usually is.

"Okay, I am going to take a few steps back. You step forward and follow me. Keep stepping with me. I will be right here if you need me. Okay?" I ask.

Bella nods, and continues to follow me slowly.

"Okay, this is deep enough," I tell her.

The water is just barely covering her breasts, about four feet deep. I can see she is getting a little nervous.

"Bella, would you do me the honor of dancing with me again?" I ask her as I hold out my hand.

I know she needs something to help keep her mind off of the water. As I take her into my arms, her thinly covered, perky breasts are against me. I can feel my body reacting to her closeness. I start stepping backwards as we dance, moving further into the water as Bella follows perfectly. I'm so fucking proud of her, she really is doing great.

She may not be swimming yet, but she's in the pool and not panicking. She's able to walk without holding my hand, and manages not to freeze up from fear. After about an hour of us 'dancing' in the pool, we get out.

We have to be back soon, I hold her hand as she walks out of the pool.

I wait outside of the changing room for Bella, after quickly dressing. I turn around when I hear the door open. Bella runs and jumps into my arms; thankfully, I am fast enough to catch her.

"I did it, I really did it. Thank you, thank you so much," she said.

Shit, Bella sounds like she was crying.

"Yeah, you did it little one. You will be swimming in no time! I am so proud of you. Let's get home. I promised to have you back by eleven. I don't want us to be in trouble our last few days here," I tell her.

"Edward, thank you for tonight, I had the best time. I don't think any day will ever top this. Thank you so much for taking me out," she tells me.

She lowers herself back down my body, and I help steady her. Holding her hand instead of her body, we make our way out of the building.

"It was my pleasure little one, I had the best time, too. I do think it has more to do with the fact you are here with me," I tell her.

I can see the blush across her skin. I gently squeeze her hand.

By the time we get back to the school, I notice that Bella has dozed off. I really do not want to wake her up, so I lift her out of the car and carry her inside. Bella is so light, and she fits so well in my arms.

Going in the front door, I see that Mr. Turner is here. I watch him as he checks the time. I'm glad we are back before eleven. Mr. Turner gives me a strange look as I walk past him, carrying Bella.

"Ah, Edward, I see that you are back with fifteen minutes to spare," booms Mr. Turner.

"Yes, Mr. Turner," I whisper.

"I am going to get Bella upstairs now. She fell asleep on the way home."

I was trying to stay quiet, so I didn't wake Bella up.

"You do that, Edward, and make sure she is in her own bed. I will be sending Miss. Seamen up to check that she's okay," he says in the same loud voice.

I turn and smile at him.

"Okay, thanks Mr. Turner, and good night."

I take Bella to her bedroom, and lay her on her bed. Miss Seamen came and helped her change into her pajamas. I'm kind of glad that she came up and helped her.

"Well, Edward, you sure clean up nice," Miss. Seamen purrs at me.

"Hmm…well, you know you look awfully tense, I could help you out. I know a lot of moves, some of them are not even in the Kama Sutra books."

What. The. Hell. Why me? Again she is trying to get it on with me! The whole time she's talking to me she's trying to grab my cock. I may have been brought up to be a gentleman, but I'm not afraid to speak my mind and be an asshole.

"Look, Miss Seamen, I would rather fuck a lion, or stick my cock in its mouth than go anywhere near you! Who the fuck knows what I'd catch, if I do? You've changed Bella, now kindly back off. I'm sure Mr. Turner is waiting for you," I say in a rather rude tone.

"Yes, Edward, he is, but you can come with me and join in. You know nothing, and I mean nothing gets me hornier than getting fucked by two guys at once. I can ride you while Mr. Turner fucks this hot ass," she says as she rubs her hand across her ass.

"Okay, it is really time for you to go now."

I take her arm in my hand and direct her to the door.

"You really need to leave, do not ever proposition me again. You might like to know that I witnessed you with Matt a few days ago. Stan was with me and he took a photo; several of us have copies. If you try anything again, I will have your teaching license revoked. You are a fifty-year-old woman, just because you like nineteen-year-old guys doesn't mean they want you. I will turn you in, so do not tempt me," I warn.

I watch her go back to the elevator, and I close and lock our apartment door. Yuck, I don't know why anyone would go there. Sure, she's a decent looking woman, but she is old enough to be my mother's older sister. It is sad when you can't even send your children to summer camp without them getting hit on.

I check all the locks again before heading to bed. I'm sad that Bella is not going to be in my bed tonight; I rather enjoy being close to her. We've been spending nearly every night together; it's nice having someone there to talk to until I fall asleep. With Bella beside me, it seems to keep my nightmares away.

As I open my bedroom door, I realize Bella got up and moved to my bed. She looks so sweet, and she appears to have already fallen back to sleep.

"Edward, stop talking to the dog and come to bed," she says.

I chuckle at her comment. I found out a while back that Bella talks in her sleep. Some of the things she said were quite funny.

"I'm just coming to bed, little girl, after I get my pajamas on. Don't be peeking now," I say teasingly as I start to strip out of my clothes.

"Who did you growl at Cujo?" she mumbles.

There she goes thinking of that movie again, it always scares her. I quickly lie down beside her and hug her body close to mine.

"Are you okay, my little one?" I ask her with my lips touching her ear.

"Hmm…all better now I got my Edwin!" She sighs.

"Night, my Bella," I murmur.

"Nighty night, Edwin," she responds.

I chuckle again, I remember asking her who Edwin is, since she called me that before. At first, Bella blushed when I asked her about it. Bella explained to me, that he was a teddy bear her dad got her when she was four. Edwin was her favorite, and she took it everywhere with her. She named him Edwin, she said because he was her only friend. She felt that it kept her safe. She would spend hours talking to it. Bella's mother got mad at her when she was eleven, and threw the bear in a fire as a punishment.

I feel strange that the last few nights while sleeping, she's been referring to me as Edwin. I'm happy that she feels safe with me, but it also scares the shit out of me. I really don't want to fuck things up with her, she's important to me. I would be so fucking lost without her. I have managed for nineteen years without her, but now, I cannot imagine my life without Bella. I have known her for five years, but the last several weeks have changed the things I knew. I've become addicted to her. I am not sure what I am going to do on Friday when we go back home.

I pull her closer to me, and she wraps her arms around me. We are holding onto one another as if we are each other's lifeline.

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**A/N: There will be more chapters posting yet today. Please let us know what you think of the story.  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**All normal disclaimers apply.**

* * *

**Chapter 9 Going Home**

**EPOV**

**26 August**

It was five o'clock in the evening as Bella and I finished packing up the last of our belongings. We were scheduled to head home later tonight. I was grateful that Bella decided to be the one to wash all of our dirty laundry. She was able to get all my used and stinking clothes clean and smelling good just in time for our trip home.

I truly did not know what I would do without her. She was a lifesaver.

While Bella was finishing up the laundry duties yesterday, I spent my time doing the one thing I knew could actually do without error. I gave the apartment a good cleaning. I spent the time scrubbing the counter tops, vacuuming the carpet, and washing the dishes. Luckily, Bella and I kept the apartment pretty tidy during our stay, and it didn't take me very long to get the place looking like new again.

I got confirmation yesterday, that Bella's ticket had been upgraded to first class. I also found out our fight back would be delayed by four hours. In other words, we were not going to be departing until eleven at night now. Bella and I would not arrive in Seattle until after three in the morning.

After finding out about the changing information, I was frustrated and very much felt like getting my hands on the person who was to blame for the delay.

I overheard Bella on the phone telling her grandpa that she wasn't happy about him having to drive that early in the morning just to pick her up from the airport. She told him that she would be happy to wait until six, and just take the bus home. Charlie was not pleased with that at all, I could hear the concern in his voice as he replied to Bella's comment.

I decided at that point to step in and tell them both, that I would drive Bella home myself. My dad had dropped off my car for me already, and I was going that route anyway. I did not give either of them any chance to argue with me. I smoothly worked my way into their phone conversation and told Charlie that I would see him in the morning when I dropped Bella off at home.

"Bella, are you ready to go?" I call out to her questioningly.

"Yep, all set," she says quietly.

We made our way downstairs to say our last goodbyes to the staff and fellow students, as Bella and I were some of the first to head home.

After we attended the farewell party last night, we talked about how sad it would be to leave, and how much we had learned and grown during camp.

Bella had a lot of guys giving her their phone numbers. Each time she would smile at them, take the number, and as soon as they were out of sight, she would toss their number in the nearby trash can.

_Thank God for that! None of them are good enough for her._

We made our way to the airport. I did not tell Bella about bumping up her economy ticket to first class. After dropping off my rental car, Bella and I head into the airport and check in.

"So, Bella, how did you do over all," I ask.

We were each given an envelope containing our overall score for the ten weeks we spent at camp. They were handed out to each student on their way out the door.

My score was a ninety-seven, which put me in the top percentage of students of the camp. The grade given was not just from this year, but from the last five years compiled together. The closest anyone had ever come to scoring as high as me, in the past five years, was a ninety-three.

_Yeah, I know, I am cocky bastard, but I've got the goods._

"I got a ninety-two percent. I'm in the top ten percentile," Bella says.

"Bella, that's a great score," I tell her.

She gives me a half smile, before letting out a sigh.

"Not as good as yours," she says, her smile becoming brighter as our eyes met.

"Sir, may I see your boarding pass please?" The girl behind the counter asked.

I turn and face the girl, giving her my paperwork.

"How many bags do you have to check in?"

"Two to check and I have one carry on," I tell her.

"Did you pack all of the bags yourself?" She asks, going through the normal security protocol.

"Yes, Ma'am, I did."

"Has anyone else touched your belongings or had the ability to put something in your bags without your knowledge?"

"No."

_I mean, if someone put something in my bags without my knowledge, then how would I know? STUPID QUESTION! _

"Here you go, sir. You can go to the first class lounge at gate thirty-two, to await boarding."

I step out of the way so Bella could have her bags checked next. The lady went over all the same safety check questions and went over all of Bella's paperwork.

"Here you go, Ma'am. The first class lounge is to the right hand side of gate thirty-two," she tells Bella.

"What? First class? I'm not…I cannot afford first class."

"Yes, ma'am you are in first class. The record shows that your ticket was upgraded as of yesterday. Here you go. Your seat is right next to Mr. Edward Cullen. That gentleman that checked in right before you," she says with a smile.

"Thank you," Bella tells her and turns to me with a glare.

I give her my, I don't give a fuck look, silently telling her to suck it up and move on.

"Cullen, what are you playing at? Moving me to first class?" she asks.

It was clear from her tone she was not as pissed as she was appearing to be.

"Well, Bella baby, I thought that you could save me from all the cougars if you were with me. If I have your sweet, gorgeous ass next to me, hopefully, none of the oldies will hit on me. Plus, if I have you right next to me, it will stop them trying to sit on my lap."

"Well, I can't resist trying to save my damsel in distress," she giggles.

I reach out, tickling her, and pull her closer to me as we are walking.

"Please…Oh please save me from all the crazy women. Be my hero," I say in my best falsetto voice.

"You did that a little too well there, Edward," she says raising an eyebrow. "Is there something you need to tell me?" She asks in a humorous tone.

"Yeah, I think I lost my balls somewhere, come on let's go," I say.

I was coughing a bit trying to get my voice back to normal. Bella giggles at me. I enjoy seeing her so happy.

We finally enter the first class lounge, and take seats next to each other, waiting to be called for boarding.

After boarding and the plane taking off, I wait for the cougars to come, and come they did. Sadly, the women took little notice of Bella sitting right beside me, and hit on me.

Bella got up to use the restroom, and one of the women came right up and sat in her seat. The woman kept pawing me, trying to rub my leg, and she was saying suggestive things to me. When Bella came out of the restroom, she looks over at me and the woman sitting in her seat.

Bella comes straight over to us, and straddles my lap. She smiles at me and winks, placing one of her hands around my neck and the other she placed on my chest. Bella leans forward like she was trying to whisper in my ear, but making sure she was loud enough for the woman to hear.

"Hey, baby, the doctor said that the blister should clear up in the next ten days. Just remember to put the cream on it, and don't worry, the swelling should go down, too. He said your sex drive should return and that not feeling aroused is a common thing. Remember to abstain from sex until you get that all cleared up."

I was stunned. I look at her, seeing she was trying hard to hide her smile. The voice she was using when she said all that sounded like hot liquid sex travelling through my veins. Between her _come fuck me_ voice, and her sexy legs straddling me, I could feel the blood rushing to my lower extremities. I was kind of pissed that she implied I had an STD, but then again, her act works like a charm. I see the woman that stole Bella's seat quickly excuse herself, walking quickly back to her seat. She didn't even look back. Bella slides off my lap, with a chuckle, and takes her spot next to me.

"What the hell! Bella, now they all will think I have an STD," I say a little weakly.

"Yeah, well, now they will stay away from you. First class, hmpf…payback's a bitch," she says with a smirk.

Ironically enough, none of the women came anywhere near me for the rest of our flight. When we were departing, one woman came up to me giving me a number for a STD clinic. She told me not to worry; I would get my sex drive back soon. I growl at Bella again, but could not stay angry at her.

We are collecting our bags when I ask Bella if she wants to go straight home or crash at my apartment for a few hours first. Bella decides since we were both extremely beat, that we should rest for a little while first. I was glad, because I was dead on my feet. I don't think I could have driven for the next three and a half hours.

We both call home to say that we're staying at a hotel to rest a little bit before we drive the rest of the way home. With the huge delay, everyone understands, and wants us to rest, so we could be awake and alert when we drive home later that evening. I ask Bella not to tell anyone about my apartment in the city, before we make our calls. I didn't want anyone to know about my secret hideout.

My apartment has three bedrooms, and sits on the top floor of the complex. The view is a killer at my level. You could see building tops, and the busy streets down below full of people and cars constantly on the go. At night, the view only got better with glowing lights coming from building windows, the shine of car lights and street signs, making my living room window look like a work of art.

The front entrance of my apartment leads to the living room, which is decorated with a couch, coffee table, a television set, and finished off with some pictures on the walls. To the left of the living room is the kitchen and small dining room. Some of my parents' fine china is housed in there. I never use the dishes though. They seem so fragile, and were quite expensive. I didn't want to risk the chance of them breaking. Plus, I never had anyone over for dinner, so there was no need for them.

Proceeding down the hallway going off to the right, is the guest bathroom, which is pretty plain; there was nothing special about it. I was never big on decorating. It had all the accommodations needed and expected in a restroom and that's all that mattered.

Further down the hall is the master bedroom and private master bath, which is where I stay. It's a great big room and has a nice king size bed with plush covers and feather stuffed pillows. Not to mention, the master bath has a huge state-of-the-art tub with jets. It could hold five people in it with no problem, not that I ever tried, but it was nice to know.

Across the hall there is a bedroom that I use as a music room and office. There is another bedroom, off behind the dining room, but it's empty. I planned one day to turn it into a guest bedroom.

It's the first time I brought anyone here, apart from Mr. Jeeves.

"Wow, Edward, this is really nice. Did you decorate it yourself?" Bella asks, as she looks around the room.

_This is weird for me, because she looks like she belongs here. _

"Yeah, after years of watching my mom, I kind of got the hang of it. She would have done a much better job of it, but..."

"No, Edward, this is nice, but at the same time it is all you. If I didn't know who lived here, but saw it, it would not take me long to figure out this was your place."

"Okay, thank you, Bella. I assume that you're okay with sharing the bed with me?" I ask, knowing we shared a bed the last few weeks, but wanting to give her the opportunity to choose.

"Yeah, that's fine, come on, you look like the walking dead. Let's go climb into what I am sure is the biggest bed I will ever see," she smirks.

I give her a smile, taking her hand and leading her to my bedroom. We talk for a little bit more about our plans about what we were going to do once we get back home, until Bella falls asleep on me.

I was glad to be back in Washington, where my home is. I was happy that soon I would see my mom, but there was a big part of me that was sad. I could not fall asleep. I was confused and frustrated, wondering what it could possibly be that was making me feel so down. Then it dawned on me, I was going to miss this…I was going to miss being with Bella. I would miss holding her close to me. I would miss her tucked into my chest. I would miss the closeness we have come to share, but most of all I knew I would miss having her as mine.

_Mine? _

_Where did that come from? Mine? _

_Yes, ASSBAG, she is OURS! _My mind screamed at me.

I snuggle closer to her body and I kiss the top of her head. "I'm going to miss this the most," I whisper to her before drifting off to sleep.

**27 August**

I wake up to the smell of bacon and eggs, and Bella no longer in my bed. I give myself a quick stretch and follow the heavenly scent to the kitchen. There's Bella, dancing around and singing as she cooks breakfast.

"Morning, little one, is someone in a good mood today?" I ask.

Bella jumps and drops the plate that she has in her hand. Thankfully, it isn't one of the plates from my parents' precious china. It's a plate from my own set I bought which were cheap, and you could find at practically any store.

"Shit, Edward, stop sneaking around," Bella yelped sounding a little shaky.

"I was not sneaking around, and where did you get all this food from?"

"Well, my dear friend, you were sleeping rather deeply when I woke up. I showered and got dressed, and you were still sawing logs. Since you were dead to the world, and I was hungry, I thought I would take a walk to the store to get some items for breakfast."

"Shit, Bella, Wal-Mart is thirty minutes away. Why didn't you take my car? I wouldn't have minded. I would rather have had you drive my car, than walk."

Bella looked right at me and started laughing, to the point that she almost had tears.

"Bella, it is not funny. I mean, God, anything could have happened to you."

"Edward calm down, I did not go to Wal-Mart. I went to the little local store at the end of the road."

"What? There is a shop down there?"

"Yeah, just before the path to the park," she giggles.

"Fuck, I wonder how long that has been there," I thought out loud.

"It's been there for twenty-five years. I was talking to the owner, who said that he sees you running by every time you're down here. He said he was worried that he did not see you in a long time, but saw us this morning when he was taking in the papers. I told him you were fine," she says.

"I have been here for a year and a half and never even knew there was a shop at the end of my street. What does that say about me?"

"It says that you're unobservant."

Bella continues to tease the piss out of me as we eat breakfast, rubbing it in my face how oblivious I was to the outside world around me.

I shower and get dressed, and when I come out Bella has cleaned everything up. It looks just like we were never here. The whole apartment is clean, and she's sitting on the sofa waiting for me.

"Well, it looks like we are ready to go back to the real world," I say.

We set off for home, neither of us saying much. As I drive, I think about all kinds of things. I could feel things changing between Bella and me as we got closer and closer to our destination. The closer we got to Forks, the further I felt Bella drifting from me. In reality, she was sitting right next to me, but I could feel an invisible pull happening between us, and I hated it. Soon we would be back at our own houses, old routines, and it would be as if music camp never happened, as if our great bond never happened.

The feelings were growing stronger every passing minute and it was eating me up inside. I never expected Bella to influence me so much, but she does. She slowly became a part of my world, and I don't want to lose that, to lose her.

I realize there are still some things we need to talk about, things I wasn't looking forward to, like school and Jake, the douche bag.

"Edward, is something wrong?"

"No, why?"

"Well, we are going under ninety miles per hour, and you love going fast, so this is slow for you."

"You want me to speed up?" I ask her arching an eyebrow. "I mean, aren't you the one that asks me to slow down all the time?"

"Edward, stop it and tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing… damn, Bella… shit…I don't know if I am ready to have this summer end. I had a great time this summer, and that is mainly because of you. No, that is not right. It is _all _because of you."

I take a deep breath, and calm my nerves a little. Feeling my mouth drying up in me, I grab the bottle of water that's in the car cup holder and quickly unscrew the top and take a sip. Once I'm sure my voice won't crack on me I set the water down and take Bella's hand in mine.

"Jasper and Ben have been my only really close friends outside of my family. Yeah, I talk to Angie, but I wouldn't say that we're close. You know Rose and I don't get along. Jasper is…well, was the closest friend that I had, but not anymore. Over the last ten weeks you have become my best friend, my confidant, and you know more about me than any other non-professional person does."

I stop talking long enough to glance over and notice that her eyes are trained to my face. I smile at her, and rub my thumb across the back of her hand.

"I may sound like a pussy for saying this, but hell, Bella…I am worried about what will happen when we are back at school. We still have not talked about it, and I am mostly worried I am going to lose you. I don't know, Bella…Fuck, I don't want to lose what we have."

Again, I stop long enough to glance over to be sure I was not scaring her. I know that my feelings are deep, and even I don't understand them all. I know that I need to be as clear about what I am feeling as I can, though.

"I have a fall out with Jasper on a monthly basis; there are at least four days when we don't even talk. I wouldn't even say I missed talking to him over these last ten weeks. But, just the thought of not talking to you…not knowing what lays ahead for us, bugs the shit out of me."

"Edward, I know we need to talk about what's happening at school; do you want to do it now or wait until later?" She asks me. She squeezes my hand, and let's go, and folds her hands in her lap.

"Edward, you're welcome to come to my house anytime. As for not talking to me, I already told you, you're my best friend, too. I don't give a fuck if either of us sounds like a pussy. I am not giving you up. Both of us have shared a lot of shit about our pasts over the last ten weeks. I guess you feel the same as I do. We don't judge each other or condemn each other. When one of us messes up, we are here for each other."

"Yeah, well I mess up a lot," I told her.

"Believe me, Edward; I mess up a lot, too."

I place my hand on top of her hand that's resting on her lap. I still feel those sparks when I touch her, I always feel them. I felt them the first time she ran into me, sending us both down a flight of stairs, and out a window five years ago. Thank god it was on the first floor.

"I will come over and visit you at your house for a little bit. We can go over everything you have so far. That way I will know what's going on. Sorry about my little outburst back there," I tell her.

Bella interlocks our fingers, rubbing her thumb along the side and top of my hand. Then covering the back of my right hand with her right hand, she trails her hand up and down my forearm. I wonder if she is even conscious of her touching me. We stay like that the rest of the way. I never let go until it's time for her to get out of the car. I even use our clasped hands to shift the gears. I drop her off and help carry in her things. I remind her that I will come by later, and set off for my parents' house.

My mom is the only one home. She came up and happily welcomed me back with open arms.

"I am so happy to see you, Edward. Did you make sure that Bella got home safe?" My mom asks cheerfully, as she hugs me.

"Yeah, Mom, I did. Mom, when did they ask you about Bella and I sharing a room; I never thought Dad would have agreed to that?"

She frowned at my question. "He doesn't know, to be honest. I only spoke to Mr. Swan about it, and the school. The school called me on the Monday and I talked to Mr. Swan on the same day. I decided that it was okay, after I had a chat with Mr. Swan about the pros and cons of the situation. Mr. Swan and I let the school know, and that was the end of it."

I could see that she was worried about my questioning.

"I did not talk to your dad about it, and he doesn't know about the night out on the yacht, either. Mr. Jeeves called to say, that you had asked for it, and that you wanted to pay for it. Of course, Mr. Jeeves was not happy about this, since you technically own it. I told him to let you be, and let you pay, if that's what you wanted to do. Tell me, did Bella have a nice time?"

I smile at my mom. It's nice to know she still has my back.

"Yes, she loved it, Mom. I wanted to thank her; she did all the cooking and she even washed and ironed my clothes for me. I don't have any dirty clothes, except from last night's travel clothing," I tell her chuckling.

"Mom, are you sure that you're okay with keeping things from Dad? I do not want you two having a fall out over me," I ask, trying to keep my voice from sounding concerned.

"Edward, you are my son, and I love you. If your father and I have a fall out, then that is between us, and it's not your fault. I will tell you this; your dad did not ask me who it was when I told him that there was a girl there, and that you were sharing a room. He did not ask me anything about you taking a friend out to thank them. Plus, if he does find out and has a problem with it, then I will just point out the fact that we have gone ten weeks without someone calling or dropping in to talk about your behavior. It looks like I made the right choices, and it was my choice not to say anything to your dad. Not another word on the subject," she says.

I smile at her, then give her a peck on the top of her head and go in my room to unpack. _I hate when my parents fight over something that I did._

"Hey, Dickward's home! Have a nice time at gay camp?" Emmett asks in his loud obtrusive voice, while punching my arm twice.

"Shut up, Emmett!"

"Don't tell him to shut up, Cullen, or I will bitch slap you."

_Great, the devil bitch is here, too! _

"Rose, this is not your house; go fuck off!" I say flipping her the bird. "Emmett, I just got back, and you can't even give me a hello," I question raising an eyebrow. "Fuck the both of you," I shout as I jump up heading for my bedroom.

Rose and I never did get along. I would never tell Emmett the real reason why.

You see, three years ago she started hanging out with us more. She had a thing for me, but I turned her down; mainly because Emmett really liked her, and told anyone who would listen. But, she also was not my typical kind of female. Rose just kept going on, making passes at me, even after I made it clear I was not interested.

Finally, she started dating Emmett and I thought that would be the end of it, but I was wrong. About a year and a half ago after they had been dating for more than a year, I found her in my room drunk. She tried to do a strip tease and I walked out, but she started crying asking why I did not like her. I felt bad so I tried to be nice, and comfort her. I told her that she was with Emmett, and that meant she was out of bounds to me. She tried to kiss me saying that she would gladly dump Emmett in a heartbeat to have one night with me. I got pissed and started shouting at her, calling her not very nice names. Emmett came in at that point and stuck up for her, thinking I was just being a dick.

The next day she cornered me saying she was drunk and sorry, but that I did not know what I was missing. She went on to say that one day I should try a real woman and not a whore. She even said she would be there for me, when I did want a real woman. After that, I saw her for the shallow-minded whore of a girl she really was.

Rose has had many guys in the school ask her out, even some of the teachers were panting over her. Rose just could not handle the fact that I did not see her like that, or want her. I thought Rose was a pretty girl, but her attitude made her very unattractive. Even if Emmett didn't like her, I still would not go there.

_She does not have anything that draws me in, unlike Bella._

* * *

**A/N: So what are your thoughts now?  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well we're back in Forks and soon is the first day of school, let's see what Bella and Edward are up to.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: First day of school**

**27 August**

It is just past eleven o'clock, and I am outside Bella's house. All the lights are off, and I am sure that everyone is asleep, but I need to talk to Bella. I climb the tree that is outside her window. Thankfully, Bella keeps her bedroom window open.

"Bella, baby wake up," I whisper and give her a shake. "Come on, baby girl, get your ass up," I say little louder.

God, she is like waking the dead!

"BELLA," I say a little louder and just inches from her ear.

"What the heck!" Bella shoots up, grabbing a baseball bat that was strangely under her pillow.

_Who the fuck sleeps with a baseball bat!_

"Shit, Bella, it's Edward. Holy hell, baby girl, put the bat down," I say with a shaky voice.

Bella lowers the bat, and turns on her bedside lamp.

"Edward, what in the hell are you doing in my bedroom at 11:20?" She asks with her eyebrow arched. "Wait," she says, while holding up her hand. "Let's start with how in the fuck did you get in my bedroom?"

_Shit, she sounds pissed._

"Bella, I told you that I was coming over, remember? I came in through your window, it was open. You know you really shouldn't leave it open, you don't know what kind of sick fuckers are out there!" I say with a chuckle try to lighten the mood.

"Edward, most people come to people's homes at decent hours of the day, and use a door. I can't sleep without the window being open. As for the sick fuckers out there, that is what the bat is for."

I give her a look of confusion.

"Yeah, the bat," she says picking it up and waving it at me. "I will beat the fuck out of anyone who comes in my room uninvited, including you."

I put my hands up, in submission. "I am sorry, Bella, I didn't mean to scare you. I would have been here earlier, but Mom wanted a family dinner. Everyone was there, even the bitch and Jasper were there," I say with clear anger in my voice.

"Are you okay? I'm taking it did not go well," she asks.

"That is an understatement. I did not come to talk about that, Bella, and you know it. Look, I am really sorry for not coming earlier, I really wanted to, but Mom was getting upset. Then, they said I just got back, and they wanted to spend time with me. After all that, I had to wait until Dad went to the hospital before coming here. I would have called, but I never asked you for your cell number. Shit, I never even gave you my cell number."

"Well, you can put your number in mine, and then call yourself while I go get something to drink. Do you want something to drink?" She asks handing me her cell, which I notice is severely out of date.

"Yes, please, whatever you have is fine by me."

After she exited the room, I chuckled to myself a bit. She never stays mad at me for long. Over the summer the longest she managed to stay mad at me was for fifteen minutes. I put both my numbers in Bella's phone and call myself. I put her under _Bella_ on my work phone, and under _little one_ on my private cell. Bella is the first person outside of the office that has my work number.

Mr. Jeeves told mom about the yacht ride, but I had given him permission. Dad and Mom have their lawyer and accountants look though my books every six months. The audit was due again next month; I knew they would see it then. It was also the reason I paid for it myself, not wanting Dad on my ass again.

Bella came back into the room and handed me a can of root beer, and a plate with chocolate cupcakes on it.

"Yay, Bella, you know how to keep me happy." I give her the biggest smile.

"You sound like your day was pretty bad, so I thought some comfort food was in need."

"Well, today started well, just didn't end that way."

_Shit, I even sound sad to me. _

"Okay, let's get started," I say changing the subject.

I take off my shoes and jacket, and put the can of root beer on her bedside table. I sit on the bed with my back against the headboard. I smirk at Bella and move my legs apart, patting the place between my legs.

"Come sit here, little one," I tell her.

After she sits, and leans back against my chest, I give her a reassuring hug and kiss the top of her head.

"Back to when I found the steroids, Grandpa took them straight to Billy. Billy is Jake's dad. Billy didn't say anything, just told Grandpa, that it was not his concern. We went to the police station, and the police talked to Aro about it, too. Aro held a meeting about it, asked Jake if it was true, and he said yeah, he takes them."

I could tell this story was bothersome to her, her body was so rigid.

"I sat there thinking thank goodness, now he will get some help. I was concerned for his health you know, but then this doctor walked in said how Jake had to take them for medical reasons. By the end of the meeting Grandpa was pissed, and I was made to look like a nosy bitch. Billy stopped Grandpa and told him to keep me away from his son. Billy claimed that I was getting more and more like my mom, with the lying and obsessive behavior."

I could tell being compared to her mother really upset her, and I even hear a sniffle as if she's crying. I cuddle her close, and stroke my thumbs across the skin on her arms. After taking a deep breath, I hear a sigh and then she starts talking again.

"They even made it look like I was after Jake. Like I paid someone else to beat me up. They claimed it was so I could blackmail Jake into dating me."

"Fuck that, Bella baby, anyone with a brain would know that isn't true. All you need to do is snap your fingers, and Jake would come running. He is a filthy mongrel, and he always looks at you like you are something to eat," I say.

I was trying to keep the anger out of my voice. I start playing with Bella's hair, it always calms me.

"Well, they didn't see it that way, and I was put on supervised watch. Jake did have to sit out the following four games, for the admitted steroid use. Jake was so pissed about that, but Aro had no choice. Aro could not allow Jake to play while taking an enhancement medication, like steroids. I don't know what the fuck is going on, but Jake decided that I was not a threat. Jake made sure to let everyone know, that he did not want me to stay away from him."

I could tell that she was truly frightened by Jake and his indecisive decisions.

"In February, I was driving home, and I saw Paul walking. He looked like he was in bad shape; he had been beaten up. I stopped and picked him up. I offered to take him to the hospital, he freaked and said _no_. He started to jump out of the car, so I told him that I had to take him to my house to clean him up. He was shaking really bad, and kept talking to himself."

I was scared of what she was going to say next, I knew these guys had hurt her, but I didn't know how badly.

"I ended up calling Grandpa to come home, because he was starting to scare me. When I hung up the phone, he pinned me up against the wall and started screaming at me. He was telling me to give him money. He said he needed as much money as I could give him. When he said he needed it, I realized that he was jonesing for drugs. I knew he was addicted to whatever shit he has been taking, he was in serious need."

I hugged her to me again, and kissed the side of her head.

"Bella, he could have hurt you badly. Please tell me, little one, that he did not hurt you?" I ask worriedly, you could hear the begging in my voice.

"No, Edward, he did not hurt me. I know that I am lucky though, because he was not in his right mind. My grandpa has a friend of a friend who got him into a rehab. When Paul came back to school, he was much better. Before spring break, his family made up a story that someone died, and that is where he was. My grandpa and I were the only ones who knew the truth."

"I am sorry that you had to deal with all of that. He is lucky that you care enough to not out him to everyone for the drugs, not to mention trying to rob you and God knows what else he could have done. It makes me angry thinking of how they all have treated you," I told her. I kissed the top of her head, as I hugged her close again.

"I am pissed at Paul, because he never told us who the supplier was. When he got to rehab they tested him and he came back with several drugs in his system. I only know that there were steroids, LSD, marijuana among a few other types of pills. The bad part was that as soon as he got back from getting clean, he started sitting with those other shitheads."

"Yeah, I remember that," I say.

"When we got back from spring break, Jake cornered me at school. He kept going on about how pretty I am, and that kind of shit again. Paul came in just when I was trying to get away from Jake, and told him what a shit he was. As I was leaving, Jake and Paul were having words. Paul came to my house that night, and he told me that he thinks Jake is losing it. While he was there, he let it slip that Aro was behind the drugs. I didn't believe him, but he told me they have a meeting the next day after school gets out."

I get up to stretch and move around, knowing I was going to be upset if she tells me that she sneaked into this potential drug trade meeting. Bella stops talking for a few minutes, and after a little bit she pats the bed, showing me she wants me closer to her. I go over to the bed, and lie down on one side. I pull her, so that she's next to me, and take a few calming deep breaths.

"You can go on now, baby," I tell her.

"I snuck in and hid behind the seats, but not only is Aro there, but also Felix and Demetri. I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing. They talked about a lot of things, and then my name was brought up. Jake kept pacing, and finally he asked why he couldn't just slip me some stuff."

"What! He wanted to slip you drugs? What kind of drugs? Did he say any names?" I ask in a worried tone.

Bella shrugs her shoulders, and when she starts to talk again you can hear the fear present in her voice.

"Well, Jake's suggestion was that he slip me a roofie. I learned later from Grandpa that it is a date rape drug."

Shit, this is pissing me off more and more. I hold her closer, and when I stop shaking and get myself under control, I start asking questions.

"I am really worried about you, and your safety. They've never gotten anything into you, have they? What about food at school?"

"I know, I worry, too, but I'm careful. I watch what I drink, and I never eat anything that I did not make or buy unopened myself. There isn't much more, just let me get the rest of this out, Edward," she tells me.

"Aro shouts at him, telling him that it is impossible. Aro actually screams that drugging me was not an option yet; it was too close to home! He goes on to say that I am already sniffing about, and said to not give any additional reasons to garner other accusations. So, it is clear he doesn't want anyone else coming in on it," she says.

I was really worried deep down that there was much more going on here other than a few guys supplying students with steroids.

"Is there more?" I ask.

"Oh yeah, it is all just heavy and hard to talk about. Same night, later during the meeting my name was brought up again; they want to dispose of me as a threat. Aro kept saying that he had to find a way to keep me in Forks. He claimed he was going to stop me from being able to go to college. This scares me the most, I want out of this town someday," she says with a shaky voice.

"I know that you do, little one, and you will, if I have to make sure of it," I told her.

"Well, I got the impression that Aro was trying to soothe over Jake and a few others of their concerns. The way they talked though, scared me enough to know I was in danger. I stayed in my hiding spot for more than an hour after they had all left. I was so scared," she says as tears stream down her face again.

"Hush, baby, no one will hurt you while I am on watch. I will always protect you," I tell her.

"There is a lot more that you need to know, Edward," she says.

"Well, I think we should take a break for a few minutes, and eat a few of these cupcakes first."

"Is my poor boy hungry?" She asks teasingly.

"I have your 'poor boy,' love," I said as I tackle her back down on the bed.

"Edward, we have to be quiet!" She whisper yells at me.

It was nice to spend a few minutes unwinding from the stress of the story, for both of us. I knew, however, that we had better get the rest out.

"Okay, Bella, you left off with hiding for an hour and being scared. What else haven't you told me yet?" I ask for the rest of the story.

"Well, I went home and told Grandpa, and he lost it. First he screamed at me that I could have gotten hurt. He went on to question me on what the hell I was thinking. The next thing I know he's planning on moving us out of state. I told him that I refused to move. You need to understand, my great grandfather built this house we are sitting in. My grandpa was born here so was Uncle Martin. Grandpa lived here with his wife, my Grandma Mary, who loved this house. Grandpa has a lot of memories in this house, and I refuse to let a few dipshits scare me away. You do understand why I need to stay here, don't you, Edward?" She asks me. I could read it in her eyes that she needs me to stand by her choice.

"Of course, darling girl, I understand needing to have your own roots. I really understand needing to preserve your heritage and past."

"When I got Grandpa to calm down and listen to my reasons for staying, we worked out a plan. I got him to call Jack and Uncle Martin; they work with the FBI in Seattle. They are both trying to investigate it now. They even gave me a panic button, after Jake attacked me," she tells me. Then she holds her wrist up to see the bracelet she's wearing; it looked like a simple charm bracelet.

"How does that work?" I ask.

"I just have to pull off this one charm and it activates a panic button that is also a GPS tracker." She shows me the charm.

"That is really cool. I wondered who had given you the charm bracelet."

"Well, there are a lot of charms on the bracelet that have lots of meanings. One of my favorite charms is this one," she said showing me a small charm in the shape of the state of Illinois.

"When did you buy that?" I question.

"I got this the day we went out shopping at the mall. I had it engraved. Look at the back," she tells me.

When I look at the back of the charm, I had to swallow hard. She had a very elegant E&B engraved on the back, along with the date she had it done. It was delicate and beautiful, and it made me feel warm inside. I am not sure where all these feelings came from, but a part of me was excited and proud. She's always wearing a mark that symbolizes a part of me and us on her person. I kiss the inside of her wrist above the place where the bracelet rests, and thread our fingers together.

"That is beautiful; you should have told me you were getting this. Now, finish telling me this story, little one."

"Jack used his connections through the bureau, and has a hacker watching our school records to keep an eye on all the grades for the entire student body. If anyone's GPA changes by more than .2%, the student's files are flagged and investigated."

"Wait a minute," I interrupt. "They think that Aro and his guys have been altering grades to help or harm students?"

"Yep," she answers. "We have some proof, but not much. We are working on more, there are things we know of, but cannot fully access yet," she says. She gets up and walks over to her closet, opens the door, retrieves a file folder, and walks back handing it to me.

"Here is some stuff we have. They do know that Aro also has some concealed data in the school system as well. Jack's computer guru is still working on getting the coded files decoded, but he is optimistic. So far, they have come to the conclusion that Aro is more of a dealer than a thief."

"Wow," I say sitting up to take a better look.

"Well, they know Aro has a lot of people in his pocket, too, and not only here in town. The worst part is, even if we did move, we would still be unsafe. We don't have much on Aro himself. Aro did not directly give Paul the drugs; James has been selling them. So even with Paul's testimony and mine, there is no guarantee that Aro will be implicated in any of it."

She sat beside me and we went through what paperwork they had. There were a few photos, but none showing Aro himself. There was a photo showing a rather large assortment of drugs. There was a list of the different identified drugs photographed. Bella pointed out the one drug's name.

"This is the drug that Jack thinks Jake will try to use on me. It is like an enhanced version of the date rape drug. It is out of your system in just five hours, it is nearly undetectable. They had a few people come forward, that it had been slipped to. Only one or two have still had it in their system. The drug is dangerous, because it hampers the person's logical thinking."

"Meaning that they could use it to do what?" I ask almost afraid of what her answer would be.

"It would make it easier to get a person to do things they normally wouldn't do. Jack said it is like it would remove the ability of the drugged person to say _no_."

"This makes me so angry," I growl.

"I am pissed, too, Edward. We have to remain calm," she says soothingly.

Closing the folder I pull her onto my lap and hug her close to me.

"We have tried for four and half months, to sort this out. We are closer, but we have to be patient. We agree that at school we should act completely normal. I told Jack about telling you, and how close we have become. He said we should act exactly the same as we did before summer break. He is afraid if we show a friendship, or he thinks you know, it will bring more danger to the table."

"I will help in any way I can, but I will be watching you as well to make sure you are safe. I will keep my distance, and I will be very careful. I will not let them hurt you, little one," I tell her.

I kiss the side of her head, and hug her more.

"I am going to try and see what I can come up with, from the boys in the locker room. I will not mention anything, but I will start paying more attention. Even with Aro disliking me, I may be able to get something good," I tell her.

In a way, I agree with Bella, if they are watching her and we're acting friendly, then the odds are everyone will be more alert. Mike has got a mouth on him, I wish now that I paid more attention to the bullshit he is always going on about.

We both cuddle into her pillows and keep talking. Bella is not ecstatic that I said I was going to help, and tries to tell me to let the FBI handle it all. She finally agrees that anything we find we would pass it immediately to the FBI. After agreeing to that, she seems to be happier.

I am glad that someone is looking after her grades, so she can get into a good college in the fall. I made a vow to myself that one way or another, she would go to a good college; I would make it happen. I am also glad they are looking at all grades. There are some students, like Jake, who is a horrid student, but is getting great grades. It will be much easier to detect and audit this, because starting this year all testing is computerized. Between the education officer, and the FBI computer guru dude, the deception will be caught.

**28 August**

Beep…Beep

Beep…Beep

I wake up to find that I am still at Bella's. It's six in the morning when I get up. I give her a kiss on the head and tell her I will see her at school; she gives me a mumbled reply. I chuckle and decide I better leave her a note.

_My Bella~_

_Sorry, baby girl, I had to leave just after six. My dad is due home at seven, and I want to get home before him. I will see you at school. I am going to miss not being able to talk to you. It will be really hard not spending time with you, but I understand. I agree about hiding our friendship and connection from Jake and the others, for your safety. Make no __mistake, little one, I will have your back, even if I__ have to hide it. I really am worried about Jake and Tanya causing you more problems. We can still text, and I will try to come over each day. Maybe you could talk to your grandpa about letting you come with me to Seattle on weekends, when I go there to work. _

_Have a good day. I will text you later, stay safe. _

_xoxo,_

_Edward~_

I jump on my bike and head for home. Fuck, I start thinking about Bella and me. The more I get to know Bella, the more I touch her, the more I want to touch her in other ways. I start wondering if this is what all male – female friendships are like. I really don't know; I never had a girl as a friend before. Hell, I never had a friend that I feel this close to before. By the time I get home, I head straight to the music room. All this thinking and I have this tune going through my head, I need to play it out.

**30 August**

It's the first day back to school; everyone is getting their schedules, when I start thinking about Bella, yet again.

I did not make it through until today; I had to go see Bella Sunday night. I feel like I turned in my man card; I am a pussy. What the fuck is going on with me? I need to be near Bella all the time. She is the first thing on my mind when I wake up, and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep. I chuckle; I even dream about the girl. That is not the fucked up part, the fucked up part is that in 90% of the dreams, I am doing erotic, sexual things to her.

I am brought back to my senses when a small familiar body crashes into me. Shit, that almost electrical current is getting worse, more powerful.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going," she says.

"It's okay, Bella. I want you to pay attention to where you're going, please, and are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am fine. Thanks," Bella says.

"Cullen, I see that you're back, just like a bad smell!"

I turn to see Jake standing there.

"Black," I say.

I notice he is shaking and growling, looking at my hand which is still on Bella's arm. _Oh shit, I let go_. Bella goes into the office first to get her schedule, and then I went in to get mine. Jake stands right behind me breathing on my neck, I hear him growl a few more times. As I leave, I notice Bella moving slowly. She has her schedule out, so I could see it; I smile at her. It's her way of making sure I know what her classes are for today.

**Swan, Isabella (Bella) Monday-Wednesday-Friday**

**8:50 - 9:00 homeroom Mrs. ****Cope**** room 200 **

_Yes, that is the same as me._

**9:10 - 10:00 English Mrs. McNeil room 340 **

_Same as me._

**10:10 - 11:00 Math Mr. Webster room 12 **

_I have Spanish then, and in room 30, not too far._

**11:10 - 12:00 French Mr. Read room 44 **

_I have math in room 12._

**12:00 - 12:40 Lunch **

_I have lunch then, too._

**12:50 - 1:40 Biology Mr. Banner room 410 **

_Same as me._

**1:50 - 3:00 Gym Mr. Felix Hunter room Gym hall **

_Again, the same as me._

**Tuesday and Thursday**

**8:50 - 9:00 homeroom Mrs. ****Cope ****room 200 **

_Yes, that is the same as me._

**9:10 - 10:00 English Mrs. McNeil room 340 **

_Same as me._

**10:10 - 11:00 Music Mr. Steps Music hall **

_Same as me._

**11:10 - 12:00 Technology Mrs. Graham room 1**

_Same as me._

**12:00 - 12:40 Lunch **

_I have lunch then, too._

**12:50 - 1:40** **Biology Mr. Banner room 410 **

_Same as me._

**1:50 - 3:00 Gym Mr. Felix Hunter Gym hall **

_Yet again, the same as me._

There are only six classes a week where we are not going to be in the same class. I am super happy about this; I know I will have an easier time protecting her. Jake is only in our English and gym classes; personally, I am delighted about that.

Our English teacher has assigned our seats, and lord almighty, my seat is right beside Bella. The gods must like me today, I thought smugly. As our teacher moved around the room, Jake again came up to Bella. He was asking her where she was during the summer break. This is the first time I realize just how scared Bella was of him. I can feel her shaking in her seat next to me; her hand is on her knee under the table. I take hold of her hand, and rub slow circles across the top.

"Black, tell your minions that I, as captain," I pause for the dramatic sink in—I just had to throw the captain thing in his face—"of the football team, am going to hold a mandatory meeting after gym today. It will take about ten minutes, and I want everyone to be there. Make sure you pass on the information. That is, of course, if you think you can remember it!"

"Fuck you, Cullen! What do I look like – your message boy?"

I just chuckle at the stupid fuck. I don't even want to do the meeting today. I'm sure enjoying raining on his parade, and it made him stop the shitload of questions he's asking Bella.

"Boy," I laugh. "Boy was definitely the right word. Just tell them, Black. I am going to change things around a little, so you better be there."

"Does Felix know this?" He says as if he's demanding me to answer.

"Yes, you halfwit. If I had my way, you wouldn't even be on the team."

Jake steps forward as if he was going to hit me. He grabs, and has me by the collar, but I push him off.

"Mr. Cullen, school has not been back in session for one hour, and you are already causing me problems. Leave Mr. Black alone, and sit down, now. Mr. Black, can you take your seat please," Mrs. McNeil says sternly.

Of course, the entire time she's glaring at me.

"Sorry, Mrs. McNeil," Jake says, all while giving me a smug smile.

_I fucking hate this school._

Bella took a hold of my hand that was back under the table. She leans close enough to whisper to me.

"Thank you, Edward, and I'm sorry."

I gave her a tight smile, it's not like it's her fault that I got shouted at.

Thank God it was lunch time, finally. Bella is a few people ahead of me in line.

"What the fuck are you wearing? You look like a hillbilly," screeches Tanya.

Her voice is like dragging nails down a chalkboard.

"Yeah, Isabella, geez did you shop at a hand-me-down store again?" Of course, Lauren has to pipe up, and help Tanya torture Bella.

"Well, girls, I would rather look like a secondhand hillbilly, than a badly dressed drag-queen whore," Bella replies.

"Who in the fuck are you talking to, Swan?" Tanya steps up to Bella with her finger pointed in her face.

_Fuck, I can't hit a girl_.

"Well, Tanya, the fact that I am looking at you, and Lauren, and you two are the only ones dressed up like drag-queen whores, then I'm going to have to say you two," Bella says smiling and keeping her tone low.

I was proud of Bella, and she looks so confident as she says that shit, but I know her, and I know she hates this shit.

"Look, you B—" Tanya was interrupted.

"Enough! Get to the end of the line, Miss Denali or go sit down. Stop with all the bitchiness. School has only been back a half a day. You are already giving me a headache, with all this. Keep it up and you will find yourself on toilet cleaning duty. Now, I suggest you listen to what I said and move it, as I am waiting to get my lunch."

I love Mrs. Cope, she's the best fucking office staff this school has.

"This is not over, Swan," Tanya sneers to Bella.

I step forward, and I come into eye view with Tanya.

"Oh hey, Eddie, I didn't see you there. Hmmm…you look good. You know I could always entertain you for lunch."

She steps closer to me.

"Hell no, Tanya. I've told you it's ED-WARD," I say each of the syllables of my name separate. "Sorry, I will have to pass on your offer. I don't do drag-queen whores; they're just not my thing."

With that she huffs and walks away, with James following close behind her.

_YUCK! _

I try to see if Bella's okay, but she's already sitting down. Shit, that was my fault; Jake must be pissed because of this morning. I need to find a way to talk to Bella, soon. I sit at my table and Alice is in her whiny mode.

"Jasper, Ben, I am going to be holding a football meeting after gym. It should only take fifteen minutes, tops."

"Why – what's happening?" Jasper asks, cutting off Alice from whatever she was going to say.

"Nothing much, just wanting everyone, including me, to tryout again for the team. I want to make sure the team is at its very best. I'm also thinking about putting together a few new plays. Last season we had to play three quarters of the guys down, because of the flu. Then don't forget when Jake got benched. I want to be sure that we have all our ducks in a row, in case something happens again," I try to make my voice sound bored.

"Yeah, cool, I'm there," Jasper nods as he says this.

"Me, too," Ben says quickly, and then goes back to kissing Angela.

"But, Jazz, you're taking me to Port Angeles. We have a date, we are going to the movies and dinner," Alice whines. She also starts in with the puppy-dog eyes; I hope he doesn't cave.

"Alice, you have a drivers education class, remember? You need to go straight there after school. I will be out before you are."

"Oh, shit I forgot about that," Alice says.

Of course she glares daggers at me, like it was my fault she has to take drivers education classes.

"Alice, anymore of that shit, and those looks, then I will just take you home tonight. You knew Edward was at an away game, you're the one that did not want to wait. Stop blaming others for your shit, Alice," Jasper said to her.

Fuck, what have I missed? I just witnessed Jasper stand up to Alice. Well, fuck me, this is a first!

"That is not why I'm mad. What do you take me for? Okay, I was mad in the beginning; Daddy never has taken my card before, and he was the only one there. I have said I was sorry already. I'm only mad at Edward, because he told all of you what I did, and you all laughed at me."

"I am sorry, Tink, but you have to admit that it was pretty funny."

Jasper was quickly trying to smooth it over. Knowing Alice, Jasper wouldn't get any kisses, much less anything else if he does not.

"Maybe it will be funny after I get my cards back and I can drive. I miss shopping so much," Alice says whining again.

"Alice."

"Yeah, Angela," Alice says glumly.

_Even I feel sorry for her, fuck how does she do it?_

"You haven't…"

"Haven't what, Angela?"

"Said that you're sorry to Edward. You were going to, but you haven't."

"No I have, haven't I, Edward?"

"Well…umm…no, Alice, you haven't, but I know you didn't mean it."

"No, I did say I was sorry, it was the day before you left. I said sorry," Alice said.

I am not sure if I should point out what really happened or not. Oh what the hell, she will whine either way.

"No, Alice, you were going to tell him, but remember Jazz called. Then after dinner you played Barbie Angela, again. By the time I was going home, Edward had already gone to bed. You said that you would say you're sorry in the morning, before he left. But, when I called you the next morning, you were still sleeping. Edward was already gone," Angela points out for me.

Alice's face pales and she looks at me with tears in her eyes. She leaps up and curls in my lap, with her small but strong arms wrapping around my middle.

"I am so sorry, Edward. I was mainly mad, because you were laughing as Dad read the report. I blamed you, because Dad did, and I was so mad and he was shouting at you. I love going shopping with you; I was already pissed at you, because you had a game. Please, please say you forgive me. I am really sorry, please, Edward, I love you. You are the best big brother I have; I'm so much closer to you than Emmett."

My sister is sitting on my knee crying, saying how sorry she is. All I can do is thinking about how much more comfortable I am with Bella on my lap. Fuck, I need to get Bella out of my head and Alice off my lap.

"Alice, it's okay, I forgive you. Look, you have gone three months without shopping, which is really amazing for you," I say this as I pass her back to Jazz.

"How about I take you shopping tomorrow after school? Dad didn't say anything about my card, and I think he has taken this a bit far. It has been a while now, since he stopped you from shopping."

Alice was used to shopping every three days, so going for three months is hard for her. Alice was not even allowed to go shopping with Mom, when she got groceries.

"You will? Oh, thank you so much, Edward, you are the best ever," she said. The entire time she was bouncing up and down in Jasper's lap. I can clearly see the effect it's causing on Jasper's face.

"Alice, maybe we can go and have some time to ourselves before our next class?" Jazz says in an almost growl.

"Yeah, sure, Jazzy, come on, let's go," Alice winks.

All of a sudden the bell rang. I know it was not nice, but I laughed out loud. They both glare at me, and this makes me laugh harder. I laughed so loud, and so much that I managed to draw the attention of everyone still in the cafeteria.

"Fuck you, Cullen," Jasper says.

"Yeah…umm…Jazz, I think we all know you want to fuck a Cullen. I am guessing it is not really me though," I reply with another belly rolling laugh.

He gives me the bird and walks out.

I take my seat next to Bella in biology. Mr. Banner keeps us together, since we are both ahead of the rest of the class. Today's class is just going through the curriculum we are going to be using. We are given the last fifteen minutes of class to talk to our lab partner. Mr. Banner said we should get to know each other, because who we are sitting with now, is who our lab partner will be all year.

I take this moment to check with Bella and make sure she's okay.

"Bella, I'm sorry about lunch, I really wanted to get her away from you…but…fuck. Well, you know I wouldn't have stood by and let her hit you, right?"

"Edward, calm down, she didn't say anything she hasn't said before. I was fine, and yes, of course, I know you would have protected me. Edward, don't let the walking yeast infection's actions, upset you."

I had to pinch my nose and bite my tongue to not burst out laughing.

"Bella… a walking yeast infection, really?" I say questioningly, as low as I could.

"Yeah," Bella shrugged. "She's an irritating cunt, that you just can't seem to get rid of," Bella says with a straight face.

I look at her and I'm not able to hold it in this time, I bust out laughing.

"Mr. Cullen, I said talk quietly."

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Banner," I say while trying to stop laughing.

"A walking yeast infection, fuck, I love it. I don't think I will be able to look at her without thinking about her new nickname. Maybe, we should call her WYI, for short?"

At this, Bella covers her mouth and begins to giggle. The bell rang signaling the end of class.

I walked a few feet behind Bella to the gymnasium, where we part ways. I was still chuckling as I enter the boys' locker room. Mike comes up and asked me what was so funny. I made some shit up, and left the locker room.

Mr. Hunter has the class all take a seat on the bleachers along the west wall.

"Hello class, my name is Felix Hunter. I am the physical education teacher that you have this year. I prefer that you call me Felix. I will take attendance, and explain how this year's classes will go."

After he called attendance, he went over the curriculum that we would be doing this year. We were starting the year off with running, and of course, football season. We would have football games until the end of December. Basketball season fits in after football, then swimming and baseball start around March.

I have roughly four months to get Bella swimming. I noticed the looks both Felix and Jake gave Bella, when Felix mentioned swimming.

Those bastards, I will not let them hurt her if it's the last thing I do.

Felix was pissed that I called a football meeting. He told me next time to tell him first. He shouted at me for almost twenty minutes, but finally agreed to the tryouts.

After school and the meeting, I drive to see Peter. I am almost thirty minutes late. Bella is not due back to start seeing him again until next Monday. I drive home thinking to myself, just nine more months. When I get home, I park in the garage and my dad is there waiting for me.

"Edward, what are you playing at? Mr. Volturi phoned to say you almost got into a fight in your first class. Then, I got a call from Mrs. Goodly to ask where you were. How did you manage to be half an hour late for your therapy appointment?" He asks, without giving me time to answer. "Edward, I told you any more shit calls from Mr. Volturi, the police, or if you're late or don't show up for one more therapy appointments, then you need to find somewhere else to live. I am sick of your excuses; I don't want to hear any of your lame bullshit stories either. Edward, I am sick of this shit!" My dad yells, he just stares at me after his rant and then walks away.

I have said it before, and I will say it again—I hate that fucking school.

* * *

**A/N: Well it is clear that Edward gets the crappy end of the stick all too often. What are your thoughts? What do you think of the kids in school? See you a little late with chapter 11.  
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	11. Chapter 11

**Second of three posts today. All normal disclaimers apply. Special thanks to the ladies that keep us readable: Savannavansmutsmut, AWayWithWords, SarcasticBimbo and Jess2002. Any mistakes belong solely to WeeKittyAndTAT, just as this storyline does.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Charlie and the Guys**

**6 September**

School has been back in session for a week, but it feels like longer. I thank my lucky stars that Bella and I get to sit with each other in several classes. It makes it easier for us to talk, without drawing any kind of unwanted attention from others. I really hate the fact that I cannot sit with her at lunch.

I still sit at the same table as last year, with Jasper, Alice, Angela, and Ben. I listen to all of their lovey-dovey crap daily. Seeing them all being affectionate is nothing new, and it never bothered me before. I am not sure exactly why, but now being surrounded by all these affectionate couples, makes my blood boil! I wish I could just go over and sit with Bella and Bree; I would be more comfortable.

I notice Jake looking at Bella a lot; he seems to watch her all the time. I think he may actually watch her more than I do and I cannot go more than five minutes without a glance her way. Jake still gives me dirty looks and growls at me on a daily basis.

I am in Bella's bedroom; I spend every other night here. I sneak in around eleven, and sneak back out around six; so far, I have not been caught. I am here early tonight; it is only nine. My dad was called in early to cover for another doctor, so I was able to get away sooner. When I got here tonight, Bella is not in her room yet. I can hear her, she's in the shower. The mental pictures I have of her while in the shower going through my head raise my desire. Thoughts of her all wet and naked do not help me at all. I can feel myself getting hard, thinking of her small, firm curves.

As if I'm not hard enough from my own thoughts, she comes into her room wearing nothing but a towel. Oh…God, she looks delicious. The small droplets of water glistening on her skin; I have to fight the desire to lick them off. I clear my throat so she knows I'm here. I'm worried that she will drop that towel; I am barely in control as it is.

"Shit, Edward, I'm sorry. I didn't see the time, have you been here long?" Bella asks, as she goes over and opens her walk-in closet door.

She goes inside, and I know she is getting dressed, so I sit up and turn my back to her.

"I just got here, and I'm early. Bella, I am sorry I didn't even think that you might be in the shower."

I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. Mentally thinking of anything to lower the standing ovation my dick is giving Bella.

_Emmett's big hairy ass, Emmett's big hairy ass, Emmett's big hairy ass, Emmett's big hairy ass._

"Edward, it's okay now, I'm dressed. You can open your eyes and turn around," Bella says quietly.

"Bella, I'm sorry if I embarrassed you. Are you okay?" I ask shyly.

I embarrass myself, and that I can deal with, but I do not want to ever make her uncomfortable.

"Edward, we lived together for ten weeks. I have heard you pee. You have seen me first thing in the morning. You've heard me talk in my sleep. I've heard you break wind. Now, with all the things we have shared, what is there for me to be embarrassed about?"

"Um…well, yeah, you're right," I say.

"Besides, you turned around. It's not like you saw anything anyway. But, most important of all things, I trust you to not ever hurt me."

"You're right, little one. I just want you to always feel comfortable around me." I open my arms to her, and she hugs me.

I can see that Bella still has a slight blush on her face. I know that she is a little embarrassed, even if she won't say anything. I decide it is best to just drop it, mainly because I need to stop thinking of her naked…FUCK!

I have been at Bella's for about forty minutes, when we hear her grandpa coming upstairs. I panic and jump into her closet. I think I hear Bella say something, but I'm not sure.

_FUCK…FUCK…FUCK…Please don't let him find me…_

"Hey, Bells, the guys are going to come over on Thursday. Cole has asked if you would make that Indian dish again?"

"Yeah, no problem, I can do that. Do you know what else they will want? I can make some dips, and maybe some brownies. Can you can pick up some chips when you get the beer?"

"Yeah, that all sounds good to me. I am sure the guys will like that. Bells, do you plan to play a few hands with us?"

"Hell, yeah, it has been months, and I love taking money from the guys," Bella says happily.

"What about you, Edward? You going to come over and join us. Meet the guys and play a few hands?"

_WHAT? HOW? HUH?_

Just then, the closet door opens.

"I…I...am…ah…fuck…shit…damn it…fuck…sorry…wait, what?"

"Edward, do you have Tourette's syndrome?" Charlie chuckles.

I just stand there, dumbfounded.

"I asked you, if you would like to join us. You know, Bella, myself, and some of our friends. We are having a small get together – some snacks, and a few hands of poker on Thursday?" Charlie asks, raising his eyebrows at me.

_What the hell's going on; why the hell is he asking me about a poker game, and not why in the hell am I in Bella's room? _

"I would…I'd like that Mr. Swan...ah…look, I know it's late…"

"Edward, you can call me Charlie, or Grandpa, those happen to be the only two names I tend to answer to. Bella can fill you in on what happens at the poker game. If you've not played poker before, she will teach you; she's darn good. She's not allowed to play too often, because our wallets can't keep up with her," he chuckles. "Oh, before I forget, here is your key for the house. You can use that to get in and out, instead of climbing that tree. Just make sure you always lock up, after you get here and before you leave." Charlie hands me some keys and walks out of the room.

"What the fuck just happened?" I ask Bella.

"Edward, I tried to tell you, Grandpa knows you have been coming over and staying in my room," she says, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Why is he not upset about it?" I whisper out.

"I have told you before, I tell Grandpa about everything. I told him the morning after the first night you came over. I did ask him not to say anything to your mom or dad; he agreed only because you are nineteen. Grandpa knows that I would not have you in my room if I did not trust you, or wasn't comfortable with you."

_To say I am shocked is putting it mildly!_

"Edward, he knows that we are only sleeping in this bed. I went over what happened in the last few weeks while we were away. He is glad that I made a friend, and a good one at that. I told him that I have confided in you what happened to me, not only with my dad, and Renee, but also Jake."

I sit beside her and hold her hand, and smile at her.

"I also told him, well…I kind of told how much more comfortable I am with you lying in bed with me, and that I have been sleeping a lot better," Bella says that part almost shyly.

"I am comfortable with you, too," I whisper into her hair.

"So, you see he is happy that you come over, just as long as you stop climbing the tree. Grandpa said it makes you look like a stalker, or peeping tom."

"Shit, Bella, you could have told me you told him. God, I think I am having a heart attack. So poker, huh?"

"Yeah, some of Grandpa and my friends come over, and we play poker. If it is the usual gang, then it will be: Jack, and Uncle Martin, the FBI guys I told you about. Cole, he is the one that taught me to dance; his sister showed me how to do the belly dancing, and he's a lawyer. Harry, who is Bree's father, is a fire-fighter. Then there is William, ah…not really sure what to say about him other than he's the grumpy pervert."

"Really…how bad?"

"Well, he makes you sound like a virgin. When it comes to dirty comments and the things he says to his wife, shit… I am surprised she doesn't kill him."

I arch my eyebrow; strange, I don't think Bella would like being around someone like that.

"Edward, just wait till you meet him, really, he is one in a million. You will never meet anyone like him. The shit he says to his wife is crazy, but you know he loves her. He is a good guy, and will do anything for his friends and family; you will understand once you meet him."

"So, how old are all these guys?"

"Well, apart from us, Uncle Martin is the youngest; he is twenty-nine. William is the oldest, he just turned sixty-nine. They have been playing poker together for about ten years now. Grandpa and William went to school together; Grandpa met Jack through work; Cole is Uncle Martin's friend, and Harry joined the poker games two years ago, when he moved to town."

I have played poker before, so I don't need her to teach me, but I ask how they play. Bella tells me that they have rules. Each person brings the same amount of money. The maximum each person can bring is one hundred dollars. If someone cannot bring that much, then everyone can only start with the lowest amount that can be afforded. Everyone puts some money into the kitty, to cover food and drinks. Bella cooks them all dinner, and makes the snacks. They all stay the night here, or at Harry's, so they can drink.

**9 September**

Tonight is poker night; I have to ask my mom if I can go to a friend's house for a sleep over; that sounds so juvenile. She asks who my friend is, and I don't know what to say. I do not want to give her Bella's name, so I say Martin.

_It is almost the truth. Right?_

My mom gives me a big smile, winks, and says, "Yes."

Dad is not too happy, because he has not met Martin yet, but Mom tells him that she says that I can go. I also hear her as she tells him that I deserve to be given a little trust.

"Edward."

"Yeah, Dad," I answer.

"I want to meet this new friend of yours," when he says new friend, he does those air quotes with his fingers.

"I am not happy that you went behind my back and asked your mom if you could go. Since she said that you could go, I will stand by that. Just keep in mind that if you fuck up, or if it turns out this friend," again with the air quoting, "is no good, it's going to break your mom's heart. You are walking a fine line here, son. Edward, if you screw up, you, my boy, will be out on your ear," with that, he leaves.

I take my bike to Bella's, her grandpa made space for it in his garage, to stop me from having to park a few houses away.

"Hello," I call out, giving the door a couple of taps.

Charlie tells me just to walk in, but it still feels wrong.

_Yeah, I know, I can climb a tree and sneak through a window without much worry, but I freak out when I use the front door._ _I was starting to think something is not right with me; maybe I should talk to Peter about this._

"Hello, Edward, how are you tonight? Did you let your mom know you're staying over tonight?" I am greeted by Charlie, and his questions.

"Yeah, I did…look Mr…Charlie, I would really like to say I am sorry about the whole coming in Bella's window. I did not mean to disrespect you or her, by doing that." I say this looking right at him, but when he doesn't reply, I look down.

"Edward, I think we need to have a chat, please sit down."

_Fuck, he's going to tell me to stay away; I know I was going to fuck up._

"Edward, calm down. Look, I trust my granddaughter, she has never given me reason not to. When she was fifteen, she drank a few bottles of beer, and smoked some cigarettes. I would never have known about that, but the next day, she came and told me. Bella has done a few things, but that is what being a teenager is about. Compared to some of the children in this town, she is really well behaved. I was young once, I understand."

"I just don't want you to think…" I say, but Charlie interrupts me.

"Just a second, son, let me finish. I wish I could say that I kept myself pure until my wedding night, but that would be a lie. And I have climbed into and out of a few windows in my time, too. I know you and Bella are close, and really good friends. Even if you were dating, and doing bedroom things together, I trust her. Before you say it, I know you're not."

I take a breath, and nod in agreement.

"Edward, you need to know that I will not ban you from this house. If things between you and Bella get serious, I will not stop you two from having sex. I was a police officer for almost forty-five years, and I saw a lot. I don't know how many cars I have come across with teenagers doing the deed in them. Not to mention the parents I have come across," he chuckles.

I laugh with him.

_Hoping he is not suggesting my parents…Ew…that is a mental image I don't need or want._

"The most important thing for you to always remember is I trust Bella's judgment of you, Edward. Bella was never this comfortable with Jacob, but she is with you. She is sure that you will never hurt her, physically, or emotionally."

"No, sir…Charlie, I would rather die than hurt her."

"Edward, I have known you since you came to this town. That has been the best part of twelve years, almost thirteen. I have arrested you, too." Charlie was the chief of police when we moved here.

Charlie retired three years ago, but he has taken me home more times than I can count.

"You kept me on my toes my last few years, before I retired. You never did do too much, and certainly nothing that made me think this boy is bad news. Of course, I knew about your past, too, and what you went through. I think you do a pretty great job at keeping it together. The thing that is most important is you saw that you were going down a dark road, and changed it. When you were told to get help, you got that help, and sorted some of your shit out. "

"I'm trying," I say, because I still do not think I am fixed.

"Edward, the main reason I'm okay with you being here is I have never seen Bella happier. When Bella called from music camp, and as the weeks went on, she sounded so happy. Since she has been back, she seems to be a happy, normal teenage girl. I have seen and heard you two together; you are good for her. When you're here she doesn't have any nightmares; I think that's because of you."

"My nightmares go away when I am with her, too. She's good for me, too," I tell him.

"The only thing I am worried or concerned about is how close you two have become. It scares me to think she may get upset, or become withdrawn at the thought of not seeing you. I know you go to Seattle on Fridays and don't come back until Sunday night. I know she is worried and a bit sad about it, as well. I feel that you both are dependent on each other a little too much. I think it would be a good thing if you both talk to Peter, about your relationship."

"I had already decided to talk to him," I say, nodding.

"Like I said, I know that you are just friends right now, but maybe Peter can help you both keep it healthy. I have said this to Bella, too; we talk about everything and don't hide stuff."

"I know, Charlie, Bella told me," I say.

"With all that in mind, Edward, I think you really need to sit down with your family and talk. I mean, really talk, but be sure to listen, too, because they love you. I know your dad and you aren't getting along well. It really worries me and makes me sad, Edward, and I know it's not all your fault. Carlisle has to take some, well, hell, a lot of the blame there. I am here if you ever want someone to talk to, without any judgments."

Charlie pats me on the back and stands up. I get up, too, and Charlie smiles at me.

"Okay, son, put your bag up in Bella's room. I think she might be in the shower, so if you don't hear her in the bathroom, be sure to knock."

I get to Bella's room just as she is coming out, she smiles and hugs me.

"Hey, you made it – you ready for this?"

"Ready as I will ever be," I say, giving her a wink.

I go in her room and put my bag on her rocking chair.

"Yo…Bells, get your ass down here, girl," comes a loud voice.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys."

We go downstairs – sitting there are five very different guys. I recognize Charlie's son, Martin, he lives in Seattle. I know he comes over when he is not working. Martin was away working at the New York FBI headquarters the week we came home from camp. Bella was originally going to spend the night there, but he got called away at the last minute. Harry gives me a smile, and a wave.

"How are you, Edward?" Harry asks.

"I am doing pretty good Harry, nice to see you."

One of the other guys is on the phone, but hangs up as we come into the room.

"Hey everyone, this is my friend, Edward," Bella says sweetly.

The oldest looking guy puts out his hand for me to shake.

"So, you're Edward, I have heard—"

The ringtone of his cell phone blares out—RING…RING

He is cut off by his phone again, and he puts it on speaker as he answers it. The whole time he is still shaking my hand.

"Did you just hang up on me?" Comes an unhappy woman's voice.

"I don't know, did it sound something like this?" And he promptly hangs up the phone.

"As I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted. I have heard a lot about you, Edward. I am William; you can call me Will."

I have to stifle my laugh. I cannot believe that he just hung up on his wife for the second time.

"Will, you are going to get neutered when you get home," Martin says. "It is good to see you again, Edward. I must say you look a lot better than the last time."

Martin comes forward patting me on the back.

"Edward, I am Jack, nice to meet you, son," Jack gives me a slap on the arm.

The last guy comes forward and shakes my hand, and asks, "What is this I hear, you've been dancing with my Bella?"

He sounds really pissed off.

"Eh…hmm…well, yeah, we needed to dance, during our performance… uh… routine… ah," I stammer.

"Cole, stop scaring the kid, God, you have about ten girls as dancing partners. Edward dancing with Bella didn't do you any harm," Jack says, while shaking his head.

"Well, who was better, me or the boy?" Cole pointedly looks at Bella, making his voice sound like the _Don_ in the Godfather.

"Come on, Cole, you don't need me to tell you who was better. You already know the answer to that question anyway." Bella is stroking his arm while she is talking to him.

_Why the hell am I getting jealous about it?_

"Come on, Bells. Tell me – say it out loud, just for me," Cole says, while giving me a smirk.

"Hands down, Edward's the better dancer," Bella replies walking off into the kitchen.

All the guys start laughing.

"Damn it, Bella, you meant to say me, right?"

Bella shakes her head _no_.

"Come on, Bells, say it is me. Say I am the better dance partner," Cole says.

"But Cole, that would be a lie, and Grandpa says it is wrong to lie," Bella says in her sweet, innocent voice.

I've got the biggest fucking grin on my face.

_Take that schmuck! I am the better dance partner._

We eat the food Bella made, and it's fantastic. It's the best Indian dish I have ever had, and I have eaten in some of the top Indian restaurants. I help Bella clean up the kitchen after we all eat. It's easy cleaning up, because Bella always cleans while she cooks. After we are done, we join all the guys to sit around the poker table.

We play a few hands, and Bella surprises me again. Bella is really good; she shuffles the deck like a pro. All I can think of is getting this girl to Vegas; we could win a ton and have a blast.

Charlie, Martin, and Cole have all folded, Bella has called, Jack has three jacks, Will has four of a kind, and I have a straight flush.

_I think, yeah, I am going to win! _

"Damn it, look at that," Will complains, looking at my hand.

"Hey, looks like you win, Edward," Jack calls out.

"Hey, not so fast, I haven't shown my hand yet," Bella says.

Bella has this really cocky grin on her face.

"Come on, Bella, Edward here has a straight flush. How are you going to beat that?" Jack asks.

"Well, Jack…dear, with this royal flush," Bella says.

Holy fuck… yeah… Bella gets a royal flush; shit, she wins the pot. There must be two hundred bucks in there.

"Bells, you better not have been counting cards again. Jack, why did you teach her that any way," Will says.

"I told her to only use her gift of counting cards for good, not evil. I never thought she would use it against us," Jack says.

Jack looks at Bella, and raises his eyebrows.

"Guys, I am not counting cards! God, it's not my fault that I can play better than you guys can," Bella says a little too sweetly.

We play for a few more hours, and Bella kicks butt. In the end, Jack and Martin each come out with only forty of the hundred they start with. Harry takes home fifty, and I have seventy left. Bella ends up with five hundred, which means she won four hundred bucks. Both Charlie and Cole leave with nothing. They all say I can play the next four nights, but Bella can't play again for a while. I have to laugh at that, but understand, because she is really fucking good.

When we are done playing poker, and wrapping up the last game, I help Bella clean up again. I am glad I get along well with all the guys, even Cole. He gets Bella and me to dance during a break, and says we dance perfectly together. I hear him tell Charlie that we are well suited.

Martin is staying in his old bedroom. Jack is staying in the spare bedroom, which is Renee's old room. Harry only lives down the road, so he is going home. Will lives in Port Angeles, he was going to stay with Harry, but his wife Pauline is summoning his ass home.

It is really funny to listen to the two of them on the speaker phone. Bella is right; you can tell through all the bitching, that the two really do live for each other. Cole offers to drive Will home. Cole has to go home, all the way to Seattle; he is due in court tomorrow.

I can see why Bella is so close to the guys; I can see all of them love her. I say my goodbyes to the guys and start putting away the clean dishes. Bella is in the other room saying bye to Cole and Will, and helping Charlie put away the poker table.

"Edward, you got a minute?" Martin asks me, as I put the last of the dishes away.

"Sure, Martin," I say.

"Bella says you want to help with this whole Aro thing?"

"Well, yeah, of course I do. I am the team captain, so I figured I may see things you guys don't. I was just planning to keep my eye on the guys in the locker rooms; you know be a bit more observant. If I find anything, or see anything, then I will make sure Bella tells you."

"Yeah, okay, but you need to understand a few things. To get the best results, we need them not to know that we are looking into it. Aro's brother, Marcus, is an FBI agent, too, so we are looking to find out if and what he may know. We need you to be cool, don't go in guns blazing, no matter what you see or hear. I will give you my and Jack's numbers so you can call us any time. To be truthful, I am glad you know Bella is so stubborn at times. I am glad she has someone to talk to. I know that you are keeping the whole friendship quiet, which is a good thing. Aro doesn't trust Bella, so just please keep an eye on her. I really want to kill that fucking Jake kid; I am just worried that she is going to get hurt."

"I will end him, if he touches her."

"I believe that you will, kid, stay low, she will let you know if you are needed. Right now, we're trying to get a warrant that will allow us to place cameras in the school. Those cameras would be in the hallways, gym, pool area, the boys' locker room, and Aro's office. We are trying to get an older judge to issue it; hopefully, not someone with ties to Aro. When we get it, Jack was wondering if we teach you how, could you put them in place for us?"

"Of course," I say.

"That is good to know; it will go smoother that way. If we try to get a new teacher, janitor, or cleaning staff in the building, Aro would take note of that. Bella said she would do it, but I think she'd never get a chance, with the way they all keep an eye on her. Even if they were not watching her, I don't like the idea of Bella trying to do that, at all."

"Yeah, no problem, I could do that?" It comes out a bit like a question.

"Don't worry, Edward, we will train you well, and I know that you can be sneaky if you want to be. You will do fine," Martin says.

Bella and Jack come into the kitchen where we are talking. Martin and Jack go on to tell us both that they should have the warrant and cameras by the end of next week. Bella seems a little shocked to find out that I will be installing the cameras, but relents and agrees that I would have a better chance at not getting caught.

We head off to bed and Bella puts her stash of money in her lockbox, under her bed. I notice she has quite a bit of money there.

"You know, Bella, there is this building downtown, it is fairly new, it is called a bank. You could put your money there and they keep it safe for you."

Bella looks right at me and puts a mock shocked look on her face. "Really…oh, so cool, but no, the money is fine here. There's not much here anyway, it is part of my college fund. This is just money I get from playing poker, and tips I make when I work at the diner."

Bella works five shifts a week at the Newton's diner, and has done so for the last two years.

"So, have you picked a college you want to go to?" Bella asks.

I want to ask her the same thing, but I'm not really sure I want to hear her answer to the question.

"I know that I want to go to the University of Washington, or Northwestern University. I choose the University of Washington, because it's in Seattle, and Northwestern, because I love Chicago. At UW, I can work in the Seattle office plus, I have my apartment already. If I go to Chicago, I could work at the office my dad worked at."

_I may have to change where I go to college; I really don't want to be far from Bella. Fuck, when did I turn into a pussy?_

"Have you picked where you would like to go?" I ask her.

"Well, I would like to go to UW. I would like to stay near Grandpa and the guys, but mainly Grandpa. There are only two things that I want to be—an author or a chef. Either way, my future will hold creative writing and cooking."

"Well then, I guess I know where I am going to go to college," I tell her.

"Oh, yeah, where's that?"

"I am going to UW," I say and I know I have the biggest smile on my face.

"Looks like we are planning on attending the same college then," she says.

We smile at each other and cuddle close. Spooning around her body, I kiss the top of her head. We talk about college a little more, but drift off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: So what do you think of the way things are going? Edward has certainly gotten to the point where he would do almost anything to be with Bella. How long do you think the friend only card will hold out?  
**


	12. Chapter 12

**So third and final posting for the day. The chapters will keep posting as fast as we get them back.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Bella's Birthday**

**13 September **

Today is Bella's birthday, she is seventeen now. It took me weeks to come up with the right gift for her. Not that she will complain, I just want to get her something special. Her grandpa and Uncle Martin are taking her out for dinner. They ask if I would like to go, but I decline giving them a chance to celebrate with her as a family. I will be giving her the gift I have for her tonight, when she gets back home.

I am just about ready to get on my bike to go to school; Jasper is coming to get Alice today, thank God! Alice has another four weeks of driver's education to go. Dad says once she completes the course, she will get her car and credit cards back. Alice has almost paid off the two thousand dollars worth of fines she got for her traffic violations.

Dad is not too happy about me taking her shopping, but did not say anything, because I pay for my own charge cards.

I send Bella a quick text before heading off to school.

**Hey, baby girl, happy seventeenth birthday. Hope you have a good day. See you at school. X, E~**

_X? I never put x in my texts. _

_Yeah! But it's Bella! You may not always put an X on her text messages, but you kiss her every chance you get._

_No, I don't, that is you that do that._

_What? No, it's you._

_Shut up, fuck, I need to get to school. _

_Hate arguing with myself, I never win!_

When I arrive at school, I see Bella parking her car. She gives me a quick nod and a smile, her way of thanking me for the text. I watch her walking into the school and make sure she's okay.

_No, you're looking at her ass, you shithead. Making sure she gets in! Okay, yeah, right._

_Thought I told you to shut it. _

I see Tanya, Lauren, and Jessica make their way to me and my bike.

_OH, YAY! At least both voices agree with this._

"Hey, Eddie, when are you going to take me out on that fuck hot bike of yours? I would love to feel your power between my legs," Tanya says in what I am sure she thinks is a sexy voice.

"Tanya, once again, my name is Edward. By the way, no one gets on my bike, but me. I have also told you thousands of times – you will never, ever, be with me in that way, or any other way. Do you understand English?" I ask in my fuck-off-or-I'll-hit- you voice.

"Well, today is your lucky day, Eddie."

_How thick is she?_

"You see, me and my girls have been talking, we know you want us. Since we want you, too, we decided it is unfair to make you choose just one of us. We thought you can have the three of us together. We will even show you some girl-on-girl action."

_I think…no, I know, I just vomited in my mouth a little._

"Fuck! No! I. Do. Not. Want. You. Or. Them!" I say, through clenched teeth.

"Tanya, why don't you take your skanky ass, and get the fuck away from me? Fuck! Both of you two," I point to Tanya then Lauren. "As the town whores, I think I'm the only guy you have not fucked yet, and it will NEVER happen."

"Oh…Eddie—" Tanya starts to say, but I cut her off.

"Maybe I should just tell you how I really feel about each one of you." I look Tanya in the eye. "Tanya, you look like an _Oompa Loompa_, lay off the fake tan. You should bleach your hair professionally, because it's turning green. You've got more makeup on than a clown wears, and you have the personality of a piranha."

I look Lauren in the eye next. "Lauren, you are an evil bitch. The fucking things you do to people are past sick; it's borderline sadistic. Much like Tanya, you should lay off the fake tanning; you look like an _Oompa Loompa_, too."

Turning then to face Jessica, I take a deep breath. "Lastly, Jessica, what the fuck happened to you?"

I wait for a few seconds to see if she will answer me. When she remains silent, I decide to just tell her off.

"I mean, fuck, you used to be bullied everyday by these two worthless witches. They made your life hell until Mike said he'd help to get them to stop if you'd blow him and fuck him. Seriously, what the fuck were you thinking, girl? Sad thing is, you used to be an all right girl, but this pair of whores has turned you into a worthless bitch. I remember when you used to hate them; grow a fucking spine. Tell them to go fuck themselves; as for Mike, you can do a lot better than that little shit. But, mark my words, you stick with them much longer and you may never get back to that girl you used to be. I know both Alice and Angela miss you," I say.

Jessica is looking down by the end of my rant; fuck, maybe I went a bit far with her. Jessica is friends with both Alice and Angela right from the first grade. Tanya and Lauren bully her all the time, but Alice and Angela stand by her and stick up for her. Then Jessica's dad left her mom for a twenty-one-year-old. Tanya had a field day with that, and really started torturing Jessica. Jessica started shutting everyone out. Jessica's father started giving her a lot of money, after he moved to New York with his new bimbo. He is a high-priced lawyer, and since he only sees her four weeks a year, he just hands her money. Tanya sees Jessica in a new light; she comes up with a plan to get Jessica in her group. Mike, the slime, goes along with Tanya, and that is where his protection offer comes into play. Then the next thing is, he will date her if she lets him fuck her however he wants. Of course, sick of being picked on, she agrees; it helps that she has always had a crush on that punk, Mike. Mike treats her like a whore, and Tanya – well, Tanya loves the black Am-Ex card Jessica has.

"Tanya, Lauren, Jessica, why are you offering him that; I would love to fuck all three of you beautiful girls. Don't waste time talking to the _gay_ boy," James calls over to them.

"Yeah, come over here, girls; I am man enough of for all three of you." Mike calls while winking at them; all three of the girls walk over to them.

Mike and James whisper something in their ears, Jessica starts to look around herself. A few seconds later, Tanya and Jessica have a conversation. Jessica sort of nods at Tanya. The next thing I know, James is leading Jessica over to his car. The bell rings, and I make my way to home room.

The day goes by really slow; I only manage to send Bella some texts. We never even get the chance to talk in any classes; in every class, we have a shitload of work to do. I make an improvement today – I only get into trouble in three out of the six classes. I get home and I'm tired, but I do my homework right away. We sit down for another great family dinner.

"Edward, dear, is everything okay? You have been really distracted tonight," my mom asks, with clear worry in her voice.

"Yeah, I am fine, Mom, just had a long day at school." I try and sound as normal as possible.

"I thought that we had a problem with our phone line; I went the whole day without a call from the school," Dad says.

The tone that he uses is the same he has used with me, or when talking about me, the last few years.

"I do hope this doesn't mean you're up to something, boy. Just remember, I have my eye on you; one foot out of step and I will be on you like a rash. Do you understand and hear me?"

"Dad, I am not up to anything," I sigh.

I just don't feel at home here anymore. Since spending time with Bella and Charlie, I feel even more like a stranger here than before.

It just turns eight o'clock in the evening, and I am bouncing with impatience to get to Bella's house.

"I am off to bed; I've got a migraine," I say, putting a little pain in my voice to make it believable.

"Okay, honey, take some tablets and get to bed. I will keep Alice, Emmett, and Jasper away from your room so you can have some peace. Carlisle, sweetie, when are you leaving for work? Do I have time to make you a snack?"

That is strange; she is looking at me the whole time.

"Yeah, I'm leaving in half an hour, dear. A snack will be good; hopefully, I will be back home at six in the morning. I told the hospital I need to be in Seattle tomorrow morning; don't forget we will be there most of the day," Dad shouts.

_Shit, I will need to leave Bella's earlier than normal._

"You get to bed now, Edward," Mom says.

She hands me the tablets, a bottle of water, and winks at me.

_Fuck, does she know?_

I get in my room and lock my door. I wait until my dad has been gone for ten minutes. I scale down the wall, grab my bike, and head to Bella's. I pull into my parking spot in the garage and let myself into the kitchen. As soon as I enter, I feel like I'm home. I guess I am weird; I feel more at home here than I do in my family's home. As I turn around, I find Charlie making himself a drink.

"Hey, Charlie, how was your night?" I ask.

"Yeah, it was a good night, son, Bella had a good time. Bella loved the CD and books, thanks for the information there. It was the first time I made a home run hit, when it comes to gifts. Bella made her own birthday cake; she wouldn't let me spend money on buying one when she could make it herself. She said, besides no store-bought cake would be as good as one she makes; she got that right. Bella was sure to save you some, it's in the fridge for you."

Hmm…cake. I pick up the plate, add some cookies, and grab two cans of soda. One for Bella and one for me; I take a swift bite of the cake…fuck me…amazing, it's almost as good as sex. I let out a moan.

"Yeah, it's really good, isn't it?"

I nod, as I continue to eat the cake.

"Is everything okay, Edward? You look kind of done in; you have a rough day?" Charlie asks with a caring voice.

"I'm fine, thanks. It's just been a long day. Dad was on me; he thinks I'm up to no good, because the school did not phone him today." I take a deep breath, and I let it out. "I just don't know how to please him, everything I do is wrong. I see him with others, and he is so caring and compassionate, but with me—all I feel—all I get is his coldness. I have really screwed up my relationship with him."

I look down, not wanting Charlie to see just how much hurt's in my eyes.

"Edward, I don't know what his problem with you is. I don't even think he does; you need to give people a chance to change if you ask them to change. From what I see, he has not given you that chance at all. As far as school goes, from what I can get, Aro has it in for you, too. As I see it, not all the phone calls are your fault. He is your father; he should be in your corner. He should be going to that school and finding out what's going on. It takes two to tango, and if you're having that many issues, there has to be a reason."

"Thanks, Charlie," I say.

"I am always here, if you need me. You know you have Bella, too; she is here for you. You should think about asking Peter to have your dad come along one time. Maybe you can get all this out, let him know how you feel. You know, if you don't tell him, than he can't change, can he?" Charlie asks, while patting my arm.

I give him a smile and a nod.

"Okay, thank you. You gave me something to really think about. Night, Char…Grandpa," I say.

God, I love that old guy. Charlie is really a great person. Bella is lucky to have him, but he is even luckier to have her.I give him a wink and a smirk as I leave, knowing I have said the right thing from the smile on his face.

"Night, son," I hear him say.

"Hey, birthday girl," I say, smiling at Bella. "Baby, this cake, is fan-fucking-tastic, you've really outdone yourself."

Bella turns, putting down her book. God, she looks so good with her glasses on, she has the whole sexy librarian thing going on_._

"Glad you like it. Thanks for pointing Grandpa in the right direction for my gifts," she smiles, knowing it's me behind it.

I take off my jacket, shoes, and head into her closet to get changed. I'm glad that it's big enough for me to change into my pajamas.

"Okay, birthday girl, close your eyes and hold out your hands," I tell her.

Bella gives me a confused look; I arch my eyebrow at her. I watch her close her eyes and hold out her hand. I place her birthday gift in her hand.

"Oh…thank you, Edward."

"Bella, you don't even know what it is. Come on, girl, open it," I tell her.

Bella slowly opens the gift, and I watch her face light up. With tears in her eyes, she stutters out, "How did…how did you find this?"

"I looked at some of your old photos, and when I found one with Edwin in it, I took it to a bunch of stores. I was surprised when I found this at the Build- A-Bear. It's the closest one I could find, so I got it for you."

I hunted down a teddy bear for her, one that looks like the one her dad had given her. After we talk about Edwin the bear, I know how much she misses it.

"Here, baby, it comes with a birth certificate, too. I hope you don't mind, but I gave him the name Edwin, and today is his birthday."

"Edward, this is perfect. Thank you so much; this is great," she says.

Lifting the bear, she hugs it close to her chest.

"I missed you, Edwin; welcome back."

Bella puts the bear to her face, and holds it there, "Hmm…it smells like you."

I blush.

"Well, I kind of…sort of, slept with it every night when I was away from you. I know you have been worrying about me going to Seattle some weekends, so I thought he may help you out when I'm away and you can't come with me. Okay, time for gift two," I say with a smile.

Bella looks at me like I have grown a second head.

"Ah…what?"

"Gift two, as in a second gift. Bella, Edwin was just a small gift; here," I say, as I hand her an envelope.

She opens it and her eyes go wide, "Is this what I think it is?"

"If you are asking if it's opera tickets for Seattle Opera House for you and me, then yeah, that's what it is. I'm just sorry we need to wait until October to go, but this performance doesn't start until then. I knew you would want to see this one. I already asked Charlie if you can spend the whole weekend in Seattle with me, he said yes, and he just wants you to call to check in. We also will go to see your Uncle Martin, at least once."

"Edward, this is too much; you got us the best seats in the house. I should be giving these back to you, but nope. I will keep them, because I want to go, so thank you."

She jumps up, straddling my lap, and hugs me. She pulls back, and I'm momentarily sad by the loss of closeness. Instead of getting up, she grabs my head, pulling it down. She kisses me on top of my head, then looks me in the eye, and goes back to hugging me.

I know that I am dreaming. I'm in the middle of a meadow. I know this meadow; it's here in Forks, about a two hour hike off from the main highway. Bella is here with me; we're having a picnic. We are having a good time; Bella keeps running away from me playfully. I catch her, but this time we fall. I lean over and kiss her on the mouth, an open-mouthed kiss. For a dream kiss, this is by far the best kiss of my life. Just then, I hear myself say the words I never think I would say or hear in this way. "I love you, Bella." She smiles at me and says, "Good, because I am so in love with you, Edward." At this point, I sit straight up.

"Edward, are you okay? Did you have a nightmare?"

I turn my head and look over my shoulder at Bella; she is still half asleep.

"No, nothing like that. I'm sorry I woke you up."

I try to catch my breath.

"Edward, what's wrong, you're shaking?" Bella asks, starting to sit up. I gently push her back down, and recline back next to her.

"Bella, I just had one of those stupid dreams where you think you're falling, you know?"

Yeah, I am lying to her; I'm scared at the realization that I just got. I get it now, this need to be close to her; it's because I'm falling in love with Bella, the same Bella who is my best friend. I roll over and face her, and I look at her. Looking into her eyes—fuck no, I'm not falling, I'm already there.

"Yeah, I hate those kinds of dreams," Bella says.

She cuddles me and starts to stroke my head. After a few minutes, she curls up and puts her head on my chest; I put my arm around her and place my hand on the small of her back. The entire time, all I can think about is that I am holding the one girl I will always love. I am in love with Bella; it's a great feeling to finally understand what has been happening to me these last few weeks. But, I am scared as hell, and looking at her while she sleeps, calms me. I know that it doesn't matter if she does not feel the same for me; I will still love her. I would really like it if it turns out she has feelings for me, too. I know as long as I have her in my life, I am going to be fine. All that matters to me now is that this beautiful, smart, sexy, caring girl is happy. And I will make it my life's goal to make sure she is. I kiss her head, and rub my fingers on the bare skin of her lower back.

"I love you, my dear, sweet, sexy, baby girl," I whisper against her head.

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**A/N: So what do you think of his telling her while she is sleeping that he loves her? Do you think she heard him? See you tomorrow with more, let us know what you are thinking.  
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	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMERS: All things Twilight Saga related, belong to Stephenie Meyer, no copyright infringement is intended. The quote from the serenity prayer is by Reinhold Niebuhr, no copyright infringement intended in our use of it in this chapter or story. The song Barbie Girl was performed by Auqa and written by: Claus Norreen and Søren Rasted, no copyright infringement intended.**

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**CHAPTER 13: Saying Goodbyes**

**17 September**

Bella has been planning on coming with me to Seattle this weekend, and I'm excited. Bella thinks it's just for a weekend away visit for us, but I have a surprise for her. I had this all set up with Charlie. Charlie and I have spent a lot of time talking things over. I'm so excited, because I love doing things for Bella. I'm just hoping that she's happy, too.

When I found out that Bella didn't know where her dad is laid to rest, I started trying to find out where his grave is. I'm wasn't able to find anything at first, and it really bothered me. I spoke to Mr. Jeeves about it and asked him to hire a private investigator. After talking and giving all the information to the best private investigator in Seattle, we played the waiting game.

The private investigator called a week ago, and says he found Phil's sister. She's married and their names are Mr. and Mrs. Waylon Pitt and their family, but that they are away on vacation right now. We found that Bella has three cousins; two of them are close to her age, and one younger. Mr. and Mrs. Pitt and their children live outside of Seattle, but have just relocated there within the last year. The private investigator gave me the family phone number and address. I take all the information straight to Martin, and he checks them out. With Martin sure it's really Phil's sister, we call Charlie. Charlie couldn't believe that I found her. He said that he remembered that Phil had a sister, but they couldn't find her. All Charlie had known is her first name. Charlie asks me not to say anything to Bella, until I speak to the Pitts. We all agree that we should let her have her birthday, without bringing up the past.

I called the Pitts to leave a message; I'm uncertain what to say, so I leave a rather generic message. "Hello, my name is Edward Cullen. I'm looking for the sister of the late Phil Dwyer, in regards to his daughter, Isabella. Please return my call at, 360-555-6518, thank you."

Mrs. Pitt called me as soon as she and her family were back. She told me her name is Isabella, and that Bella had been named after her. She became upset when I told her that Bella is not with her mom anymore. I explained that she lives with her grandfather. None of Phil's family knows about what Renee did to Bella, but none of them cared much for Renee. When Phil died, they lost contact with Renee. I don't mention anything about the abuse that Bella endured at Renee's hands; it is not my place to tell her. I asked her where Phil is buried at, and she said he's not buried. He was cremated and his ashes were spread around the bottom of the old oak tree in the family garden. She has some of Phil's belongings that she has kept for Bella, too. She invited Bella, Charlie, Martin and I, over to her house the following weekend. It will be the ninth anniversary of Phil's death. She said she will expect us there about one, if that's okay for us. I agreed to the time she set, and thanked her. She's pleased that she is going to get to see Bella. She said that the last time she'd seen her, Bella was a little seven-year-old with freckles.

We are telling Bella today when we get home from school about her family, and then we are going to head to Seattle. Bella is hopefully still going to stay with me. I asked Charlie if he would like to spend the night, too, but he says he is going to spend some time with Martin and have some father and son bonding time. I am grateful that Charlie trusts Bella with me.

I park my car in the garage at Charlie's house. Bella is already sitting at the kitchen table with Charlie. I walk in and I hear Charlie talking to Bella.

"Bella, now that Edward is here, there's something we want to tell you. Edward here, did some investigating and he found your Aunt Isabella."

Bella turns and stares at me; she looks shocked.

"But ... but Uncle Martin looked, and couldn't find her."

"Bella, I wanted to find out where your dad's grave was. I wanted to let you say goodbye to him. Mr. Jeeves helped me find a private investigator, and he was able to help."

I stop talking, as Bella is turning white. I crouch down on the floor, and put my hands on her face. I finally get her to look me in the eye.

"Bella, baby, please breathe. It's all going to be okay, I promise. I spoke with your aunt already; she says she misses you. The reason we could not ever find your father's grave, is because he was cremated. His ashes are spread around an old Oak tree at the family homestead. Your aunt has asked us to visit tomorrow, if you feel up to it." By the end of my speech, my voice is really quiet.

I'm not sure she heard me at first. She's just sitting here, with tears on her face. I try to wipe away her tears; I feel bad for making her cry.

"Please, love, say something please," I beg.

"You … you talked to … to Auntie Elle … WH—when?"

"On Sunday," I say, feeling guilty.

"I asked Edward to not to say anything, Bella. I wanted you to have a nice birthday, and I also needed time to make sure she was who she claimed to be. Your Uncle Martin did some major background checks; she is really your aunt. Just don't blame Edward, he was only protecting you," Charlie says.

"What – no … thank you, so much. I … I … I can't believe you … you found her. When are we going to see her?" Bella asks, with a big smile.

I'm glad she doesn't seem upset that I had to keep it from her for six days.

"As soon as you're packed," I say.

Bella hugs me and jumps up, but stops at the door.

"Grandpa, are you coming, too?"

"Yes, if that's okay with you?"

Bella looks like she's crying even more.

"Yeah, of course, that's more than okay. Um … where are we staying?" Bella asks, while looking at me, biting her bottom lip.

"Well, I knew you would like to stay with Edward, so you will be with him. I thought that maybe I could stay with Martin, he got the weekend off so he can come with us. After we visit your aunt, I thought he and I could do some father-son bonding?" Charlie says, making it sound like a question.

"That sounds great, Grandpa. Okay, I'm going to go and pack now," she says, as she runs up the stairs.

"Well, Martin says everything checked out with her. I talked to him on the phone today. We have to make sure no one crowds Bella, between the three of us; we need to make sure she's okay. Remember, Edward, don't let any women cuddle her, or get to close to her. The last thing we need is for her to have a panic attack," Charlie reminds me.

Bella is uncomfortable with female contact; she doesn't like any woman to get too close to her. Leah and Bree are the only close females in Bella's life. Bella only spends a small amount of time in the company of an adult female. If she's around a large gathering of people, she will always be more comfortable with the guys. It really pisses me off how much Renee's abuse still affects her.

"They have been in Spain all this time; that's why Jack and Martin couldn't find them. The whole family moved there, after Phil's death. They only came back a few weeks out of the year; that's why we never could find them. They moved back here to the States at the beginning of the year. Martin told me that Mr. Pitt moved the family there, with his job. Phil's parents went with her; maybe Bella will meet them someday. Martin spoke to Mrs. Pitt, too, and says she sounds really happy about seeing Bella again. I have never met them; Renee never allowed it. I hope Bella can cope with all of this," Charlie says, sounding really worried.

"Grandpa," I say. I find that Charlie likes for me to call him that versus calling him Charlie. I like it, too, Charlie's a great guy and it's comforting to me. "We will get her through this. This is a good thing, and it will give her some closure she never got saying goodbye to her dad."

Charlie looks up at me, tapping my chest above my heart.

"So, when are you planning on telling her?"

I give him a confused look, and he grins at me.

"That you love her. Edward, you look at her the same way I looked at my Mary. Don't pretend that you don't know what I am talking about."

I look away from him, because I fear my own feelings.

"You're right, Grandpa, I do. I love her, very much. She is everything I need, want, and so much more. But, she is also my best friend. I don't want to lose her. I want to tell her, but I don't want to scare her away. There is so much going on right now, I want her to be ready for everything. If I am being truthful, I really don't want to hear her say that she just wants to be my friend."

Charlie chuckles a little, and shakes his head.

"Kid, did you know that I asked to court Mary three times? She was a stubborn woman, which is where Bella gets it from. You see, Mary was afraid of the same thing. Mary and I were friends for many years. I met my Mary when I was eleven; she had just turned eight. When I was fifteen, I asked her the first time. Finally, when she was eighteen, she said yes. That was the day I found out that she felt the same about me. Mary was scared that if we didn't work out, she would lose my friendship."

Charlie chuckles again, and slaps me on the back.

"You know, Edward that never would have happened. Mary was it for me, and I was it for her. We were married a year later. I became a police officer and within a year, we were pregnant with Renee. Mary always wanted a big family, but it didn't work out that way. We had some hard times; Renee was a handful for a child. Renee seemed to enjoy causing other people and animals pain. We tried so hard to help her, and then she settled down when she became a teenager."

Charlie sat on his chair, took a drink of his coffee and sighed heavily.

"Renee was seventeen when Mary became pregnant with Martin. Renee kicked up a fuss about us having another child. Mary was thirty-seven, so they had to keep a close eye on her. The pregnancy was hard on Mary, and she almost died during the delivery. Mary was never the same after that, and Renee blamed Martin for it. Renee went from guy to guy, causing us a lot of sleepless nights. She would do all sorts of things; none of which were good. Mary and I had different ways of handling Renee's behavior. I was all for letting her sit in jail for a few days, but Mary wanted her to see a doctor."

Charlie is shaking his head, like he realizes now what he could not realize back then.

"Renee did see a doctor and again settled down. I wanted to get to know my baby girl again, so I started spending time with Renee. We went to the baseball game on my fifty-second birthday. Renee bought the tickets; I was so happy. I was so happy with her; she even stood in line for me to get an autograph from Phil. That day was one of my fondest memories with my daughter," Charlie says.

Charlie has a smile on his face, and I can tell that he is still fond of the memory. I know deep down, that he loves Renee; he just hates the things she did.

"Then, three months later, on Martin's twelfth birthday, Renee comes to the party. At the party, she drops the bomb that she and Phil are dating and she's pregnant. We were shocked, because Phil was only twenty-one, and Renee was almost thirty. Not so much because of the age, but also the social differences, too. Later it came out she was stalking him. Renee kept saying that he was lying, and we stood by her."

I can see the agony of the situation on Charlie's face.

"When Renee had Bella, she refused to hold her. Mary thought she had postpartum depression. Mary helped Renee so much; after only a few months it was clear Renee needed more help. Mary moved in with her, but she ended up doing all the work. When Bella was six months old, Mary demanded that she get help. This time, we made sure she went into an inpatient center. Phil came down for a month to help; he stayed with Mary and Bella. Renee did well, and was allowed to come home after a few weeks. Renee started doing all the things that moms should, so Mary moved back home. Phil ended up staying for another month."

"So, if he was there, why did he leave?" I interrupt to ask.

"I don't know what happened, and to this day, I still don't. Phil left; that's all I know."

"What happened then?" I ask.

"Mary missed Bella so much, so she called often to check on her. Renee asked us to stay away, so she could get the hang of parenting without us there to do it. After a few more weeks, Mary went to see her. Two hours later, I get a call from the hospital there saying Mary had a heart attack in Renee's house. Renee never told anyone what happened at her house that day; she only blamed Martin, saying he had weakened her heart. I miss my Mary so much, but do you know why our marriage was so strong?"

I shake my head at Charlie.

"Our bond was strong because of our friendship. I could always tell her anything, and she could tell me anything. We didn't always agree with each other, but even when we didn't, we still stood by each other. Sometimes, the best love of your life is your best friend. Just think about it, son. You know, I still talk to Mary, to this day. I even know when I ask her something, what she would say to me. Sometimes, it's like I can hear her voice."

Charlie stands up, and then pulls me into a hug. This is not a man hug, this is a full-fledged; both arms around me real hug.

"Do you want me to come back later?" Bella asks. "I mean, is everything okay?"

Charlie turns to Bella, smiles, and hugs her, too.

"Yeah, sweetheart, everything is fine. I was just telling Edward here about my Mary. I'll just go grab my bag, and then we can set off," Charlie says walking out of the kitchen.

"Is he okay? Wait, are you okay?" Bella asks, clearly worried.

I pull Bella in to a hug; fuck – she smells so good.

"Yeah, baby, just sad. Charlie really loves her, even after all these years. No matter how long she's been gone, he still loves her, very much."

If I'm lucky enough to have Bella love me back that way, I will always be happy. I love Bella a lot, and hopefully one day she will love me, too. If Bella and I share even half of the love between us that Charlie and Mary shared, we'll be very lucky.

**18 September**

Bella didn't sleep very well last night. She tossed and turned all night long. I finally put my arms around her and held her tightly to my chest. I'm worried she may have bruises on her arms, where I had to hold them down a few times. We eat breakfast and get ready to leave to pick up Martin and Charlie.

When we get to Martin's, he puts his foot down, saying that we are taking his car. I hate when other people drive, but at least I get to sit in the back with Bella, who's cuddled into my side. Martin drives a lot like me. We make it there in good time, and I'm no longer bothered by being a passenger.

We pull up to the Pitts' house, which is really nice, and I get out of the car pulling Bella to my side. I hold her hand, as I close the car door. Right away, I hear Bella's aunt's voice.

"Oh my, you are beautiful, Isabella," she says.

As she walks up to Bella and me, Bella grips onto my hand tightly.

"Hello, Isabella, I don't know if you remember me, but I am your Aunt Elle."

"Yes, I remember you. You used to make toffee sweets with me when you came to see me. Please, call me Bella," she tells her.

Elle's face is bursting with excitement, after Bella says that she remembers her.

"This is my friend, Edward," Bella points to me. "And this is my Grandpa Charlie, and my Uncle Martin."

"Yes, hello, welcome to the family homestead. Please come inside," Elle says, leading the way.

We follow her inside, and we are greeted by a small girl.

"Hi, I'm Poppy. Are you her boyfriend?" She looks right at me, pointing to Bella.

"Well, I am a boy, and I am her friend," I say putting on a big smile.

"Poppy, this is Bella, and her friend, Edward, her Grandpa Charlie, and her Uncle Martin." Elle points us each out, while saying our names.

"This is my youngest daughter, Poppy, she's seven. Do you remember my other daughter Morgan?" Elle asks.

Bella doesn't answer, but Elle doesn't give her a chance as she continues on.

"Well, she is at her friend's house; she should be back soon. She's a year older than you, Bella. She and her twin brother, Keith, just turned eighteen on the first. Keith, her twin and my only son, is here somewhere."

Elle stops and looks at us, "Shit," she says. It comes out really quiet, and I am not sure she meant to say it out loud.

"I'm sorry, would you like a drink? Or, Bella, would you like to see your dad's room? This was our childhood home, you know? Oh, and I can show you where we spread his ashes?"

Just then, Poppy comes back into the room.

"Can you come and play dolls with me, Edward? You're kind of cute. You know Morgan will be all over you, but she likes all boys. She will say you're smoking hot and that she'd love to…"

"Poppy! Stop listening to what Morgan says. Edward is here with Bella, and Morgan will be doing no such thing. I'm really sorry," Elle says.

Bella lets out a nervous chuckle; Charlie and Martin are about to roll on the floor, and I am just dumbfounded.

"Poppy was born without a filter, then again, so was Morgan."

I'm quite sure my face is bright red now. I turn to look at Bella, who is holding in her laugh.

"Well, if it's okay, I would like to see his room?" Bella says, questioningly.

I am thankful Bella changes the subject. Elle nods and shows us the way to Phil's old bedroom. On the way, Elle explains that her parents live in a smaller home not so far away.

"I have more grandparents?" Bella says.

"Of course you do, Bella. They let us have the homestead when we all moved back here from Spain. We wanted the old family home, because we have plans to adopt another child. Morgan and Keith are your biological cousins, but Poppy is adopted. So we needed the larger home. I want you to know that Phil's room is not being used. It hasn't been changed, since it was his as a teenager. Here we go," she says opening a door.

"All of the boxes in here are for you. I had Waylon bring them down from the attic yesterday for you. If there's anything else you would like, let me know. Would you like us to stay or have time by yourself to look around?" Elle asks Bella.

Both Martin and Charlie look worried about Bella.

"I would like time by myself to look around the room. If … um … that's okay?" Bella says.

Martin and Charlie nod, giving Bella reassuring smiles.

"Of course, Bella, we will just go down and sit in the kitchen. It is back down the stairs and to the right, off the hall. Just come on down when you are done. After you look around the room, I will show you where we spread his ashes."

Elle gives her a smile and heads out of the room.

"Thank you," Bella calls out.

I give Bella's hand a squeeze, and turn to leave as well.

"What … wait, Edward … where are you going? Can't you … could you … just stay, with me, please?" By the end, Bella's voice is so small I can just barely hear her.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I thought you wanted to be by yourself, but I will stay if you want me to."

I know I sound a little confused. I'm sure she said she wanted to look around the room by herself.

"Yeah, but I didn't mean you. Shit, I'm sorry. This is going to sound weird, but I kind of think I need you here. I mean you know me – you know when I need to talk, or just need to sit and think. You being here will give me support, and also it will be like…I am by myself, you know? Um…"

I stop her talking by placing my hand over her mouth.

"Bella, it's okay, I understand. I'm here if you need me."

I really do understand' I'm always more comfortable with her beside me. I stand back, so I can fade into the background. I want her to be able to express her emotions, without feeling guilty. Yet, this allows me to be able to step in and hold her, or talk to her if she needs me.

I watch Bella as she goes through the boxes, holding up the odd item here and there, telling me the story behind it. She found some journals her dad had written in; he was writing them for Bella. The entries are all about his days when they were apart.

"Oh my God, Edward, this is a picture of the meadow we went to – look," Bella says running over to me.

To my surprise, I recognize it to be the same meadow I've been to in Forks.

"Bella, my love, I know this meadow. It's the same one I told you about, in Forks. I will take you there, if you'd like, when we get back on Sunday. Or we could go on Monday after therapy?"

Bella looks shocked.

"What … it can't be, can it? Are you sure, Edward? Maybe it just looks the same?"

I chuckle a little.

"No, little one, it's the same. Look here, see this log?" I ask, pointing at the log in the photo. "I call that my log. I sit there and play my guitar. I'm positive it's the same place," I say, pushing her hair away from her face.

She smiles at me, "Yeah, I would like to go there."

She walks back over to the boxes where she picks up another box and opens it. She smiles brightly, as she turns and looks at me, but closes the box quickly.

"Okay, I think maybe we should go back downstairs. I … we can look at the rest when we get back?"

Bella is still looking around.

"Are you sure you are ready to go downstairs?" I ask, as I walk over to her hug her from behind.

"Yeah, I am ready; thank you, Edward."

She places her right hand over mine, and I kiss her head. Her left hand caresses my cheek, before I pull away and take her hand. I lead her back down the stairs. When we reach the kitchen, we see a boy and girl about our age have joined the group. They haven't seen us yet, and I can tell Bella's nervous.

"Wait until you see him, Morgan. He's so beautiful and handsome. He looks like a prince, but I think he likes Bella a lot. Bella's really pretty, too," Poppy's saying as we enter the kitchen.

"Sorry for taking so long; thank you, Auntie Elle. Are you sure that it's okay for me to have all of that stuff?" Bella asks.

"Of course, I'm sure," Elle says.

"But, there was some jewelry… don't you want to keep that stuff?" Bella asks.

I see that Keith's eyeing Bella up with a smirk, while Morgan is visibly drooling.

"No, Bella, those are all for you. Phil wanted you to have those items; they are yours. Now, here are your other cousins. This is my son, Keith, and my daughter, Morgan. Kids, this here is Isabella, but she likes to be called Bella. Her friend here is Edward."

"It is nice to meet you both," Keith says. He holds out his hand to shake ours. He leans forward after grabbing Bella's hand and tries to kiss it, but she pulls it back before he can. Bella shakes her hand, like she can remove his touch by doing so.

Morgan comes over pushing her boobs up, and undoing a few buttons.

"Hi there, Edward," she says, in what I am sure she thinks is a sexy voice. "You have a nice name. It's kind of strange, Bella, didn't you have an imaginary friend named Edwin?" She asks, snidely.

Bella lets out a chuckle, and rolls her eyes.

"No, Edwin was a teddy bear that my dad got me," Bella replies in her sweet voice.

Bella and I both know that Morgan is trying to embarrass her, but I already know about Edwin. However, the whole time Morgan is looking right at me, while she pushes her boobs together.

"Morgan, I don't think that's going to make your boobies any bigger. Do you want me to go find the baggies of chicken for you? They are cold now, because they are frozen. But, you already threw out the ones you used last night," Poppy asks, in a really loud voice.

Morgan looks right at her and growls.

"Poppy! I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about. Silly child," Morgan says, with a strange laugh.

"Morgan!" Poppy slams her hand on the counter, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Edward is going to be my boyfriend, so there."

Poppy sticks her tongue out at Morgan. I'm sure I'm bright red again. I look at Bella who's trying hard not to laugh. Martin and Charlie have turned their backs, but I can see they are chuckling.

"Okay, okay … enough girls. Yes, Edward is a really good looking boy. Good God, you two, enough already. Jesus, Mary and Joseph – Morgan Anne Pitt, stop trying to shove your breasts in Edward's face! Edward is here to support Bella, not find a date. Poppy, I'm sorry honey, but he's too old for you. Morgan you already have a boyfriend, Johnny, from your class. It was bad enough you told your dad that you stole him from your friend Kramer. Now, both of you girls, get upstairs, and get dressed. Grandma and Grandpa are on their way over to meet Bella."

The girls leave the room, shoving at each other.

"I'm so sorry about those two. I think Poppy has a wee bit of a crush on you, Edward. As for Morgan, if she does that shit again, don't be afraid to put her in her place. That girl really needs it; she has lost so many friends. She steals their boyfriends; one day soon, Kramer will get her back."

Elle is shaking her head.

"Bella, would you like to go down to the tree? We have sometime before Lilly and Phillip come. They really would like to see you, too, if that's okay? I know you have a lot on your plate today, so it's up to you," Elle asks, with clear worry in her voice.

"I would like to meet them; I don't think I remember them at all. We would like to see where my dad's ashes are first, if that's okay?" Bella asks, as she waves her hand between, Charlie, Martin and me.

"Yes, of course. The oak tree is at the end of the garden, right down this path."

With that, Elle leaves us at the beginning of the path. Martin takes Bella's hand from me and starts to lead her down the pathway.

"How did it go?" Charlie asks, as soon as both Martin and Bella are out of hearing range.

"It went okay, I think. She shed some tears; there is so much stuff there, Charlie. She has a lot to go through; it will take a while. I don't think it has fully hit her yet. I'm glad she asked me to stay with her, but I'm sorry that she didn't ask you. I know you were worried about her."

"No, Edward. I knew she would want you to stay with her; thank you for doing that, and all of this."

We listen as Bella talks to her dad, telling him what she has been up to. She introduces each of us, before we back away a little to give her some privacy. I can still hear her, and I will go to her if she needs me.

"Dad, I really miss you, so much. I wish you were here. I think you and Edward would get along. Edward is teaching me how to swim; it is going well so far. I can almost do the breast stroke. I'm sorry I haven't been to see you, until now. I couldn't find where you were, and Mom wouldn't tell me. I love you, and I miss you. I'm going to go back up and meet my Grandma and Grandpa now. I will come back soon to see you, I promise."

It's clear that Bella is upset, and so is Charlie. I bend down to where Bella is kneeling and hold my hand out to her. Bella takes my hand, and I help her stand.

"I love you guys; thank you so much for doing this. I mean it – thank you all for being here for me." With that she gives each of us a hug, leaving me until last. I love that Bella is keeping her arms around me as we walk. We head back up to the house where we hear Morgan and another woman arguing.

"You know, if you keep showing everyone what's under those clothes, then no guy's ever going to take you home to meet his parents. Girls, who show everything off, are seen to be good for only one thing. Morgan Anne Pitt, get upstairs and change right now," comes the woman's voice, which I didn't know.

As we come into the house, I see what Morgan's wearing. Her top is almost completely see though, and she's wearing nothing under it. I mean nothing at all under it, not even a bra. She's also wearing what looks like a belt as a skirt. She stomps up the stairs. Bella clears her throat to hide her embarrassment of Morgan's actions.

"Ah, now this must be Bella. I'm your Grandma Lilly and this old fud is Phillip, your Grandpa." The woman says sweetly, as she runs her eyes up and down Bella.

"It's nice to meet, or I should say see you again. This is my Grandpa Charlie, Renee's dad, and this is Martin, her brother. This is my best friend, Edward," Bella says. While pointing at each of us, I notice the scowl on Lilly's face when Bella says her mom's name.

Morgan rejoins us in a skirt, that is a bit longer and a vest under her top.

"Hi, Bella, hey there, Edward," she says with a wink. "You know, Edward, I could show you the pool house, while Bella talks to Grandma and Grandpa. You know we should give them some bonding time."

"That sounds really nice, Morgan, but I would rather stay here with Bella, right now. If Bella would like some time alone with her Grandma and Grandpa, I already promised Poppy to play a game with her. Sorry," I say, without an apologetic sound in my voice.

Yes, I'm using a seven-year-old, who may or may not have a crush on me. I'm, however, doing it to get away from Morgan, because at least I think I'll be safe with Poppy.

"Yes, I knew he liked me better," Poppy says jumping up and down.

"Morgan, stop hitting on Bella's boyfriend," Lilly says sternly.

"He's not her boyfriend. They're just friends, Grandma, and he's good looking. I'm not going to sit here and pass something like this up," she says, waving her hand up and down at me.

"Morgan, that's it, you're grounded. No phone, no computer, straight home from school, and you're not going to any parties for the next two weeks. Anymore of this, and you, little lady, will be going to a nice Catholic boarding school, in Switzerland. Now, go to your room," Elle yells, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Again, Bella, Edward, I'm really sorry about her. She is doing this because we moved back here from Spain. She's really starting to piss me off."

Bella spends the next two hours talking to her new family. We fill the car with the boxes that they kept for her. Bella promises to keep in touch and come back over to see them soon.

"Bella, there is just one last thing we need to give you," Lilly says. "Now, I have a feeling you may not want to take this, but hear me out before you reject it. I have given both Keith and Morgan this to help with college."

Lilly is interrupted by Poppy who screams out, "Morgan says she is using hers for a new boob job, not college." Lilly rolls her eyes, and turns back to Bella.

"Poppy will get this, too, when she goes to college. I know you have got another year to go, but as you are starting college next year, we are giving this to you now. This is from all of us; your dad opened an account for you, when you were born. Phil placed money in the account monthly, right up to the day he died. We opened a college fund for each of our grandchildren; when we lost contact with you after Phil died, we began placing your birthday, Christmas, and allowance in it, too. You have quite a bit of money here. Seventy-five percent of the amount in this account is your rightful inheritance from your father. The other twenty-five percent is the money from us, your Grandparents. This money is yours; promise me that you will use it and get a good education. Your father would be proud to know that you did," Lilly is just about begging Bella by the end.

Bella takes the bank book, but does not open it. She thanks them quietly.

"Bella, maybe you should open it; I really want to make sure we are on the same page. It is important you know," Elle says strangely.

They have just met Bella for the first time in years, and already they are showering her with gifts. Bella is not really a big gift receiving kind of person.

"Any amount of money is much appreciated, but if it makes you feel better, then I will open it."

As Bella opens it, her face goes white.

"What… what… no… this... it is too much!" Bella all but shouts out, as she stares at the book.

"Bella, honey, what is it?" Charlie asks, as she doesn't reply. I take the book from her hands, and look at it.

"Holy shit … fuck me … shit, sorry."

I shake my head.

"Grandpa, they put two and a half million in the account for her. That is more than enough for her to go to any college she wants," I say in a small voice.

Shit, I can't believe I just swore four times in front of Bella's new family.

Way to make an impression.

"She will need my signature, or Elle's, right now to lift any large amounts from the account. But, I will also put your name on the account now," Lilly tells Charlie. "I will send the bank the information they need."

Lilly is looking at Bella now, who is clearly still stunned.

"Thank you, so much, but are you sure it is not too much?" Bella asks, looking right at Lilly and Elle.

"It is yours, Bella; you will need one of us to agree for you to take large amounts of money, until you are twenty-one. As I said, only a quarter of that money is from us, the rest is your inheritance as Phil's rightful heir. I will also continue to add funds; I still give my child and grandchildren an allowance. You will get five hundred per month, plus five hundred extra each month when you start college. You are able to take that amount out of your account each month. If you need additional money beyond that, it will require a signature from Elle, Charlie, or me. Any debts for college, housing, car insurance, or books will come out of the account, but will not count as money you have taken."

Lilly reaches out and holds one of Bella's hands.

"No, there is no need for you to give me all of this. I have a job; as for college, there is more than enough here to get me through," Bella says weakly, knowing she is not going to win.

"Bella, you are my granddaughter and I treat all my grandchildren the same. You will get that money; anyone can put money into it. I am so pleased to hear that you have been working to help with going to college. That is such a noble thing to do, Bella. Charlie, you have brought her up so well."

Bella again goes to argue with her, but Lilly cuts her off.

"Isabella, I don't want to hear it. This is yours and you get this money, and that's just how it is. Now, you get in the car, and I will see you again soon, right?"

Bella only nods, and gives her a quick man hug.

The drive back is quiet, and when we get to Martin's to get my car, Bella still seems to be in shock. Charlie stays with Martin, but tells me to call if I need him. Martin and Charlie have decided to drive to Forks and drop off all the boxes tonight. Bella and I head to my apartment.

We are not leaving until late tomorrow, so Charlie and Martin are having a guy's day out. I'm planning to take Bella to see my office, and introduce her to Mr. Jeeves.

We are just finishing dinner when Bella stands up and looks at me.

"I want to give you something, but I don't want any argument from you, please? I really want you to have this."

I just nod, and she opens the jewelry box she grabbed earlier. She pulls out a set of dog tags. On the first one, there is a cross stamped into the metal. On the other side is an engraving, it says: 'God grant me the serenity, to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.' On the second tag is her dad's name, Phillip Keith Dwyer, and his date of birth 11/13/1964. On the other side of the second tag is the Seattle Mariners insignia.

"Bella, this was your dad's; you should keep it."

"No! I want you to have it. I see this and think of you. Hopefully, this will help you," she says, holding up the first dog tag. "This was important to my dad. He always said it helped him a lot, when things were bad. I think it may help you, too. He was important to me, and so are you."

Bella leans over me, putting it around my neck. I hold her hand and look right at her. I lean forward still looking her in the eyes. I place my hand on her cheek, as we get closer.

_I'm a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world._

_Life in plastic, it's fantastic!_

_You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere._

_Imagination, life is your creation._

We both jump apart at the sound of my phone.

It's Alice, fuck! Why does she keep changing my ringtone for her? And really? A phone call just when I'm going to kiss my Bella.

I let out a breath, and pick up my phone as Bella walks out of the room.

"Hello, Alice."

* * *

**A/N: Well they were getting somewhere until the call came from Alice, I sure hope it is something important. What are your thoughts?  
**


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

* * *

**Chapter14: What!**

**18 September**

"Hi Alice," I say, finding it strange that she's calling me, because she never calls me.

"Edward, where are you?" She sounds a little off.

"I'm in Seattle with a friend. I told you yesterday that I was going to do something this weekend. What's wrong, Alice? Has Jasper upset you? If he hurt you, I'll kill the fucker."

"No, nothing like that," she sighs. "It's Emmett; he came home really upset late Friday night. He wouldn't talk to anyone. I finally just got him to talk to me, and he told me that Rose broke up with him. He says she's already dating some other guy. She won't tell him who it is, but he is really upset about it."

"Shit! Really! What a fucking bitch! Wish I could say I was sorry, but I'm not really. You know he can do so much better than her; she is nothing more than a moody bitch most of the time. Do you want me to call him, and talk; maybe we should all go out tomorrow night like we used to, just the three of us?"

Thinking how the three of us used to have a movie night makes me smile. We would go to Port Angles to see a film, and then head over to McDonald's and eat it at the pier. We haven't done it in over two years.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Edward. The reason for my call is to warn you, but also ask you if it's true." She sounds really upset about this, but I don't get where she going with it.

"Is what true, Alice?" I say running my hand through my hair, wondering what the hell's going on.

"Are you are the one, dating Rose? Emmett thinks that you are the other guy. Are you, Edward, please tell me you didn't do that to Emmett, Edward, please?"

What the fuck? They think I would … do that … what, why? Ewww … no fucking thank you!

"What the fuck? No, Alice, I haven't seen or talked to that bitch. You, of all people, know how I feel about her. Why would you think that? Better yet, why does Emmett think that?" I ask with a little … _no_ a lot of anger in my voice.

"Well, it's just that you spend so much time alone these days. You made a new friend that no one knows, and Emmett found that both you and Rose have disappeared at similar times. Emmett talked about that time last year, when you had her in your room. He said it looked like you were trying to get her to kiss you," she says.

To me, it sounds like she's making a statement, not asking a question. So, I do not answer it right away. There's not a fucking chance that I was trying to kiss that rude amazon bitch. I know he had seen more than he let on, but he should know I would never touch her.

"Look, Alice, I am not seeing Rose. I have never, and would never have sex with Rose. I have never, and will never touch Rose. What happened in my room was not my fault; she came on to me. She came into my room, and she tried to kiss me. I'm not interested in Rose, at all; if anything, it is the other way around. When Rose tried to get with me, I told her I was not interested at all. You will all meet my new friend soon, okay? Look, I have to go," I say and hang up.

I am really pissed off now; how could they think that?

Bella comes over and sits behind me, and starts rubbing my shoulders.

"Maybe we should just tell them, I'm sure Alice can keep it quiet at school. You know, even if she doesn't, then I'll take whatever shit I get dished. I know Jake will give me shit, but you and your friendship are important to me. This stuff with your family is indirectly all my fault. I'm the one you're coming to see all the time."

I am in awe; I can't believe she is blaming this shit on herself.

"Bella, no; this is not your fault, not even indirectly. They are supposed to be my family. Even when Alice was asking me, she had already made up her mind. They never even asked me, or took the time out to find out the truth. As for Alice, she can't keep anything quiet. I do mind you getting more shit from Jake and everyone else, too. Plus, at this point, I can't let the guys all find out that we are friends. You're important to me, too; please let's just forget the call. Okay?" I ask, hugging her to me.

She nods a little bit, and then settles down next to me as we watch a movie on TV.

**19 September**

Bella and I have just arrived at my office building. There is only a skeleton staff here, because it's Sunday. Even with the smaller staff, there are still over a hundred people here.

"Hi, Mr. Jeeves, this is my friend, Bella. Bella, this is the C.E.O., Mr. Jeeves."

I keep my arm around Bella, and my hand at the small of her back.

"Hello, Miss Swan. I have heard so much about you. I must say you are as lovely as Mr. Cullen told me you were."

Mr. Jeeves takes a hold of Bella's hand, in both of his, as he speaks.

"It's very nice to meet you, too; please call me Bella."

Bella has a slight blush to her face. After talking for a few more minutes, Mr. Jeeves leaves us. I decide it's a good time for me to show her around.

"So, he's the only one that knows that you are really Edward Masen, Jr.?" Bella asks me quietly.

"Yeah, he and my dad were close friends. He took care of me when I was in the hospital, until Esme and Carlisle got there," I say. I'm being very quiet, not wanting to think about that time in my life. "He moved here about five years ago. He takes care of me when I'm here in Seattle. He's retiring in about three, maybe four years. So, by then, I have to be ready to take over as C.E.O., or be prepared to find a replacement."

Bella stops and looks back at him, and then a smile comes across her face.

"What has you so happy, little one?" I ask looking from her to Mr. Jeeves, trying to work it out.

"I just got who he reminds me of," she says.

"Who?" I ask.

"Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler," she says with a smile.

I chuckle, "So, does that make me Batman then?"

She turns, looks me up and down, and shrugs her shoulders. "Kind of," she says with a wink.

I look back at Mr. Jeeves, yeah, kind of. I get what she means about him.

"So, which one was your favorite Batman?"

"Hands down, it's Michael Keaton. He has the whole sad, insane, look about him none of the other actors had. I just love Michael Keaton," she says, with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"What … you like him, I mean, you like him, like him?"

Shit, I am getting jealous about this, I need to keep this in check, or she is going to run a mile with it.

"Well, let's put it this way, I wouldn't kick him out of my bed in the morning."

Again, she winks at me. I bend down to whisper in her ear.

"Too damn bad; he will never get into your bed, because I will be there, and I don't share."

I give her a playful wink and slap her ass, as I go by.

We have a good time in the office. I show her around and let her meet one or two of the people that work here. She has a great laugh at some of the people. There are some that do not treat me very well, because they have this whole, 'I'm above you and you're only a mail and errand boy' attitude. That will be one of the first things I'm going to change when I'm in charge. Each person is important; no one should feel like they are beneath others.

"Please, please can I be here when you tell them who you are? Please, I want to see their faces," she gives me her best puppy dog eyes.

"So, you plan on sticking with me then? That's really good to hear. Yeah, baby, you can be here. I would really like that, and besides, I will really need your support."

I really mean it. I know I'm going to be shitting myself when the time comes. She always makes me feel more at ease and secure.

By the time we get back to our apartment—shit, I mean my apartment; no fuck it, our apartment—Jack, Martin and Charlie are waiting for us.

"Have you guys been waiting long? Jack, you know that I love you and all, but what are you doing here?" Bella asks, as we get out of my car.

"I think we should take this upstairs if that's all right, Edward?" Jack replies in a commanding tone.

We head upstairs, and Bella makes everyone some tea.

"Right, well, we got the warrant to put the cameras in. I have them with me, Edward, are you sure that you will be able to do this? Edward, you need to understand, we only get one chance at this. We are getting a lot of information on Aro, and his brothers. It turns out he has another brother, too. I think you both know him; his name is Carlos Romano, and he's the Superintendent of Schools for Washington," Jack asks and informs us of the new information.

Yeah, I know him. I didn't know that he is Aro's brother; he's another prick.

"Yeah, we know him; he comes to the school about once a month," I say.

"Okay, wait, what's it about the whole last name thing?" Bella asks.

"It turns out they have the same Mom, but different Dads. Aro is the oldest, and Carlos is the youngest. There's five years between them," Jack explains.

Bella laughs a little and we all turn to her.

"What are you all looking at? I just find it funny that the great Aro Volturi's boss is his little brother. Come on, Edward, you know what he's like; that must be a kick in the teeth for him."

I laugh a little, nodding in agreement.

"Well, you see, twelve years ago they both were principals. But, for reasons unknown to us, Aro went back to Italy for six years. Aro only returned when he was hired for the principal job in Forks. In his personal information, it just says he lived in Italy for personal reasons. We are trying to find out more about those personal reasons right now."

Jack and Martin show me how to install the cameras. They tell me to leave Aro's office for last, since it will be the hardest.

"If you can't get it, or it just does not feel right, leave it. You and your safety are more important," Jack says, tapping my shoulder.

It's late at night by the time we get back to Forks. I drop Bella and Charlie off, and tell Bella I will see her tomorrow at school. I arrive home feeling drained and tired. As I walk in to the house, I'm met by Emmett's fist. He hits me a few times, all while screaming at me.

"You fucking bastard! How could you do this to me?"

"Em ..." I stop, as Emmett's fist hits my face again.

"You know that I love her, with every fragment of my being. You can pretty much get any girl you want, but you had to take her from me, why?"

"Fuck, Em, STOP…" This time his fist meets my ribs.

"You are nothing but a fucking prick! You think money can get you anything you want, even a person. Who the fuck do you think you are?" Emmett screams, hitting me again in the ribs, side, and stomach. "I will make this clear; you are nothing to me. Nothing, understand? This is the last time I will ever talk to you," he says.

He gets up off of me. I do not even realize we are both on the floor.

"Emmett, I'm not seeing Rose. Fuck … just call and ask her."

Emmett does not even look at me as he just walks away.

"He did; she just laughed and then said and I quote; 'What if I am; this has got nothing to do with you anymore. I found someone who will give me what I need physically and materially; he treats me like I'm a princess.' Edward, how could you do that to him; you lied to me," Alice says.

That fucking bitch; she made it sound like I was dating her, without saying it. At that, Alice starts to walk away.

"Alice, I'm not seeing her; I promise, I'm not," I'm wheezing out.

"Edward, I don't think you know what the truth is anymore. I'm sorry, but I just can't be around you at the moment. Jasper is pissed, too. I think you better sit elsewhere tomorrow at lunch."

Jasper and Rose are cousins, but they are more like brother and sister. Jasper's parents are both archaeologists, so he spends a lot of time with Rose's family. I hear crying coming from the kitchen; I stagger in there. Entering the kitchen, I find Mom crying.

"Mom, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

She turns and looks at me, shaking her head.

"Come on, Edward, I'll get you cleaned up."

She gets the first aid box out and starts cleaning me up.

"I have asked Emmett to keep this from your dad, but I don't think we will be able to do it for long. Emmett says he is going to keep it away from your father, for the time being. He says he just needs time to get his head round the fact that you and Rose are dating."

What the fuck? No, not even my mom believes in me.

"Mom, I'm not seeing her. Fuck, Mom, I don't even like her."

She gives me a look that tells me she's not convinced I'm telling her the truth.

I head for bed, but am unable to fall asleep.

**20 September **

I head to school early today. I just had to get out of the house. I manage to get all the cameras installed, even the one in Aro's office. Luckily, Miss Cope needs help, and asks me to put some boxes in his office. Then, Mr. Banner starts talking to her at her car, and it gives me the time I need. As I walk back outside, I see Bella trip over—well, nothing but air. I'm too far away to catch her from falling. And, as I start moving toward her, I close my eyes not wanting to see the impact of the fall. I hear Mr. Banner laughing.

"Goodness gracious, Bella, one of these days I'm not going to be here to save you. Please, try and be a bit more careful when you walk."

I open my eyes to see that he caught her in time, and is helping her gain her equilibrium.

"Thank you, Mr. Banner, but would it be Monday if I wasn't falling, and you weren't catching me?" Bella says, while smiling at him.

He laughs and walks away; I can see he is still chuckling.

"See you in class, Bella."

I shake my head and laugh, too. Mr. Banner and Bella get along really well. He's the only teacher that respects Bella's wishes to be called Bella. As Bella walks toward the school, where I am standing, she sees me and her face falls. During the course of the morning, she sends me at least twenty different texts. She keeps asking what happened; she texts me to meet her in the woods.

"Edward, what the hell happened? Jesus, I hope the other guy looks just as good as you do," she says, as her hand comes up to my face and strokes it.

Fuck, this feels really good. I close my eyes and let her touch my face. Her touch feels so good, almost as if she's healing me. I don't even notice that her hands are now on my side, as she touches the areas that Emmett hit. I wince; opening my eyes, I see the look of hurt and concern flash on her face as she lifts my shirt. I don't even try to stop her; I don't want to. I just need her touching me, so I close my eyes again.

"Who did this to you? Was it Jake? I will fucking kill him," she says.

At that, I open my eyes and see the hurt in Bella's eyes.

"Shh … baby girl. No, it wasn't Jake." I take a deep breath. "It was Emmett. As you know, Rose and he broke up; he still thinks that I am dating her. He believes that I spent the weekend with her. He called her, and asked her if she was with me. Without saying yes or no, she led him to believe that we were together." I try to keep the pain I'm in out of my voice.

"That rotten, fucking bitch … is that why Alice and Jasper are not talking to you?"

I nod.

"Fuck this; you need to tell them you were with me. Hell with it; I will tell them right now, and so will Grandpa and Martin. Fuck, Aro," Bella says.

She's so mad she's muttering to herself; I only catch a few parts as she paces back and forth. I hear something about burning Rose at the stake, and kicking Emmett in the balls when he has a hard on. After letting her rant and get out some frustration, I finally stop her.

"Baby, stop please," I say.

She keeps pacing back and forth.

"Love, please stop, I'm okay."

She doesn't even look at me, then she stops and starts to march back, getting her keys from her pocket. I use my Dom voice – the one I know she always responds to, to get her to stop.

"Isabella."

At that she stops, and then turns to face me, frozen in her spot.

"Baby, no. I'm okay, it's fine. You are not telling them anything. Okay? I'll be okay as long as I have you. Martin and Jack are almost there; they almost have enough on Aro. Let's just give them until Christmas before we show people what we mean to each other."

"No; that's too long," Bella says, getting that stubborn look on her face.

I can still see the hurt in her eyes, and I cave.

"Fuck, baby girl, what are you doing to me? Fine – we'll come clean after Thanksgiving then." I offer, knowing it gives them another seven weeks to get the info they need. "When we come back from Thanksgiving break, I'll pick you up on my bike and take you to school. That will show everyone in the school what you are to me. I will get you, Charlie, even Martin to come over to my house for dinner, even if I have to make dinner myself. Okay?"

I stiffen up, looking her in the eye. I hope that I haven't let her in on just how much she means to me. One of the biggest reasons I don't want Aro to know about our friendship is, because I am scared he will use that as another reason to hurt Bella. Or, maybe hurt her to get to me, and he's been desperate to get me since I smashed up his car. Bella walks over to me and hugs me; I feel the tension turn to relief.

"I want to hurt them so much. What the fuck gives him the right to do this to you?" She asks, waving her hand along my face and body. "I mean, really, even if you were screwing her? As for that rotten bitch, mark my words, karma is a bitch, too. Rose is heading down a dark road, but I will make sure she gets what she deserves. I'm still going to give her a piece of my mind, and maybe a slap when I see her. I will see her, and when I do, she'll get what is coming to her."

I laugh, as I close the space between us. I hug her tight to me, and kiss the top of her head. After holding her in my embrace for a few minutes, I send her back to school. I wait patiently, and follow five minutes behind her. I'm a few minutes late for class, but thankfully it's Mr. Banner's class and he's fine with it. He's one of the only teachers that don't blame me for everything.

"So, Edward, how was your week: how did you feel; did everything go okay this weekend?" Peter asks, sitting across from me, tapping that fucking pen on that damn notebook.

"Yeah, it was okay; Bella was a little upset. I'm glad that I was there to help her. She brought back some stuff that belonged to her dad. The family has a box at the stadium, they said we can use if we want to see a game; so that's pretty cool. She learned more about her dad, but I think it was quite draining on her. She cried a little, but seems happier now. Bella loved going to see my company, and meeting Mr. Jeeves. Of course, Mr. Jeeves loved her; he wouldn't stop talking about her when I called last night. So, yeah, the weekend went pretty well.

"Edward, I asked you, how it was for you. You told me a lot about how it went for Bella. I also notice the bruising on your face; would you mind telling how that came about?"

Again, he gives me one of those looks; the one he always gives me when he knows there is something going on.

"Well, I felt useful again. Bella makes me happy and relaxed. So, it was a good feeling, being able to be there for her, and her wanting me there. I can be myself with her and Charlie, too. Charlie always talks to me, he doesn't judge me, he knows about all the stuff I have done. I kind of felt the need to tell him, because he trusts me to be with Bella. It really felt good to get it out, you know? I still have his trust, and it means a lot to me. I see so much of Bella in him. I just wish my dad was like that. Even when I told him what I did to Aro's car, he didn't go off on me. He let me tell him why I did it, how I felt doing it, and how I felt after. He even took me through the pros and cons of what I did. He made me realize some of the stuff I did, I could have done differently. He showed me how to handle things in the future, to do things properly. So, that was good; he made me realize that even if Aro is a dick toward me, that he will get what's coming to him."

I stop long enough to take a drink of my water.

"You know, Peter, now I understand. I shouldn't let Aro change who I am, or who I want to be. Martin has started to train me in the gym, and I've started running to help with my anger. I feel better, and I feel that it's working. Cole is also teaching me some meditation stuff, and that's helping, too. As for the bruises, really it's nothing; just a big misunderstanding."

I look at him and he gives me a nod, and a smile.

"There's homework for this week; like always, keep your journal up to date. I would like you to think about getting you and your dad here together really soon. I think that it's a great idea, so I need you to write down what you want to tell him and ask him. We will go through it next week. I also would like to have a couple of sessions with both you and Bella together. I think it's great that you made a new, good friend in her, and I would like to help you and Bella with your relationship. I can see what she means to you. I'm going to leave this on a positive note. I want you to know that I see a big difference in you these last few weeks. I cannot say a lot, but I also see changes in Bella. She's a lot calmer, and much happier than I have ever seen her. As you know, you're up for your annual review in eight weeks. If you can keep up the improvement that you have made, and the way you deal with things … then I think we can move you to every other week. That is, if you feel okay with that decision as well. You're really doing great, Edward."

I am stunned – shocked even, that he feels that I can be moved to every other week. I just nod and we shake hands and I go to the lobby. I wait for Bella, because we are going to McDonalds to get food after she's done. After we get food, we're going to the park to watch the sunset. This is something Bella does once month, after seeing Peter. We are going to leave returning to the meadow for weekends, so we can spend a little more time there. I sit with her on the hood of my car, with a blanket over us.

"Peter thinks that maybe, in eight weeks, I can move to seeing him just every other week. He also said something about us having a couple of sessions together. I … I would like to do that, if you're okay with it?"

Fuck, why am I such a pussy around this girl?

Because you love her, you idiot!

"Peter asked me about doing the sessions together, too; I said yes. I told him that I was happy to do that. I tell you everything anyway, so yeah, I would like that."

She turns and smiles at me; just then I see out of the corner of my eye that the sun has started to set. I point and we both turn enough to look at it. The sunset is fucking amazing. In all of my nineteen years, I've never stopped to look at the sunset like this. Bella gets off my car and walks a little toward the sunset; she tilts her head up and closes her eyes.

"Bella, what you doing, baby girl?" I ask her.

She turns toward me, leaving the sunset as her backdrop. I can't believe what I see; the way the light from the sunset behind her shadows her. Bella is so beautiful, it takes my breath away. Taking a deep breath, and moving slightly to adjust the rising issue in my pants, I vow to do this more often with her. Seeing her with the sunset; makes the love of my life glow in its radiance.

"I am just saying goodbye to the day, and welcoming the twilight."

I get up and walk over to her; I take her hand and kiss it.

When Bella and I get married, it will have to be at sunset.

Fuck! What? Shit, now you're talking about marrying her; you're not even dating her, dude.

I will be.

Yeah, like you're ever going to grow a pair and ask her?

I close my eyes, trying to shut out the chatter in my head. I take a deep breath, and realize that I really do want her to be mine. I would love nothing more than to marry her I'm so fucked.

"You, okay?" I hear Bella ask in a small voice.

"Yeah, baby girl, I am good. The sunset was really breathtaking. Thank you for sharing it with me."

I turn to her, and she takes me into a hug that I gladly accept.

"I've done this many times, but it never made me feel like this. I guess this time it's just more of a complete experience. Watching the sunset was always nice, but something was always missing. Now, I know what was missing—you were missing. For me, it's always you," Bella says, into my chest.

The feel of her warm breath on my chest causes me to shiver a little. I kiss the top of her head, wanting so much to pull her chin up and kiss her on the lips.

"Come on, my love, let's get you home."

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**A/N: Hope you're still enjoying the story. Let us know what you think. See ya tomorrow with more, several updates coming this weekend and week to come.  
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	15. Chapter 15

**All of the normal disclaimers apply. When this was written all things within the chapter were pieces of real places, menus, ect. No copyright infringements are intended.**

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*****This chapter is edited for content to not violate the FFN rules and TOS. (There was not much, but a short bit was taken out) Unedited versions may be read at TWCS or FicPad, thank you.*****

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**Chapter15: A Night at the Opera**

**22 October**

It has been four weeks since Emmett's attack. He still hasn't said one word to me. No one in the house is talking to me. I end up calling that bitch, Rose. I'm trying to find out what the hell she's playing at. She, of course, doesn't seem to care about how she turns the Cullen household upside down.

Trying to help matters, I spend every weekend away from the house. It's the only way that Emmett will come home. As soon as he's through the door, I leave.

I'm spending more time with Bella and her grandpa. I have seen quite a bit of the guys, who hang out at Charlie's. They have all been great, even when they are teasing me about my feelings for Bella.

I took Charlie and Peter's advice, and asked my dad to come to one of my therapy sessions with Peter. Dad said yes, and acted like he is all up for going, but never showed up. He got a call from Emmett, and went to see him in Seattle. When I got home, Mom told me he must have forgotten to call me to let me know. I'm upset that he didn't go, but I am also happy he's there for Emmett.

Bella and I are getting closer by the minute. We've been using the school swimming pool three nights a week. I'm still helping her with her swimming lessons. We were almost caught last week. Aro, Caius, and another guy came in; I think it's Aro's other brother, Marcus. I pull Bella under the water, and push her against the side of the pool. We surface close to the wall, blocking the view of our unexpected company. I pray that they will leave soon.

Bella begins to panic with the fear of being caught, and I do the only thing I can think of. I push myself against her and kiss her. It's my way of taking the situation off her mind. _It's my excuse, and I am sticking to it._ Bella immediately relaxes when our lips meet. I feel like I'm on fire; her lips against mine cause an inferno.

When we hear them leave, we get out of the pool quickly. We run over and put our clothes on, not even stopping to get dry first. We have to dodge seeing them on the way out. I'm scared, because I know there's no way we can leave in my car without them hearing it. I make Bella sit in the car, while I push it down the road a bit. I'm hoping we get far enough away, so they don't hear when I start the engine.

I'm still unsure if they saw us. Aro hasn't called me in, nor has he called my dad. I hope that means that they missed seeing us. Bella never says anything about the kiss, and I never bring it up. Ever since the kiss, all I can think about is how much I want to do it again, and again.

Tonight, we are leaving to go to Seattle. Tomorrow, we are going to the opera. I'm just about to leave when Emmett comes in. He looks bad – I mean really bad. You can clearly see he's lost weight, and I'm talking like twenty or more pounds. It looks like the life has been drained out of him. It really hurts me to see him this way.

"Hey, man, how are you?" I ask, trying to keep my voice level.

He doesn't even acknowledge that I'm there; as he walks right past me.

"Look, Emmett, I'm sorry that Rose broke up with you. But, I'm not seeing her. I swear, man, you've got to believe me. I'm not seeing her, honestly. Please, bro, just trust me, please. If you can give me until Thanksgiving, then I can explain everything." Again, no one even turns around, or says anything. Hell, no one even acts as if they hear me, not even Mom.

I leave and pick up Bella; as soon as she sees me, she knows that I'm upset. She gives me the space that I need to sort everything out in my head. Halfway through our journey, I tell her what happened. Bella gets me to pull over, and we sit in the car talking. While we talk, she starts stroking my hair on my head. She always shows me she cares about me; little things like this show how in tune we are to each other. Sitting here thinking and talking while she touches me, it makes me realize just how much I love this girl.

_I really hope that I can keep her; I want her to be mine!_

**23 October**

Bella and I are going for dinner before the opera. I'm nervous, because I'm about to give her the last birthday gift I got for her. I know Bella will need a gown for the opera. I found her a midnight blue dress that's floor length. The dress is off the shoulders, and has a small split in between the breasts. The dress has a matching shawl, and reminds me of the dress from the movie, _Pretty Woman_.

I remember Bella's dress size from when we were in Chicago. While I'm shopping with Alice, I see the dress and I know it's perfect for Bella. When I pick out the dress, and buy it, Alice is full of questions about who the dress is for. I dodge all of her questions. Alice tells me that I have really good taste in women's clothes. I'm sure she's trying to butter me up to see if she can get me to tell who it's for. Alice even tries to convince me she loves shopping with me, because I have style. I think she loves shopping with me, because I take her shopping when no one else will. I never do tell her who the dress is for, but since Bella and Rose are different sizes, I'm hopeful that she will eventually remember that.

I'm wearing a tux tonight. I make sure the tux matches well with Bella's dress before I buy it. I really love buying clothes for Bella, and if I have my way, I will buy her a lot more things to wear. I cannot wait to take her to all kinds of places, and buy her all kinds of things.

She comes out of our bedroom looking more beautiful than I have ever seen her. In that moment, I decide that I have to tell her that I love her. _God, I love her, so_ _fucking much that it hurts_.

"Bella, I … lo … fuck, you look beautiful. So fucking beautiful," I say.

I move over to her, take her hand, pull her close, and kiss her head. _Yeah, I chicken out, but I will tell her…yeah, I'll tell her tonight when we get home._

"Bella, are you okay? You haven't said a word."

Bella has not moved; she is still standing in front of me, just staring at me. _Fuck, I'm now worried, is there something wrong with me?_

"Uh … um … yeah, Edward. Yeah, I'm okay, but you look so good in that tuxedo. You look, umm …'REALLY GOOD', like better than good. Like better than Michael Keaton as Batman, good."

Bella realizes the word vomit she just spewed, and claps her hand over her mouth as her cheeks get dark pink in embarrassment.

Me, I'm so fucking happy about what she said. I mentally fist pump and scream, _'YES, she thinks I look good.'_

I rented a special car for tonight, so as we exit the building, I lead Bella over to the shiny black Vanquish.

"Is this the Bond car?" Bella asks with a giggle.

"It's a newer version of the Bond car. It's only a rental, but I wanted something very nice to drive you around in tonight. I also have always wanted to drive one," I say, as I kiss her hand.

Helping her into the car, and shutting her door, I cannot help but have that extra skip in my step.

_I'm one lucky guy. I have the most beautiful girl in the world at my side._

"For dinner, we have reservations at the Six-Seven restaurant. I booked us to be seated at a secluded table that has a waterfront view. Have you ever dined there before?" I ask Bella.

"No, Edward, I have not. Isn't that rather expensive?"

"Baby girl, there is nothing in this world that money can buy, that could ever be considered too expensive, if I was sharing it with you."

I'm holding her hand and stroking my thumb across her skin. She places her right hand over our entwined hands, stroking my skin with her fingertips.

We arrive at the restaurant and we are seated right away. The waiter comes to the table, and we place our orders. Since Bella has never been here before, she asks me to order for her.

"I think we will both have the Dungeness crab and shrimp cakes, and the watercress and apple salads to start. For the main course, we will have the Harris Ranch Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola-crusted forager, mushroom ragoût, asparagus, potato crisp, and natural au jus. We will also have two glasses of a bold red wine; maybe Cabernet Sauvignon?" I say questionably.

"That's a fine choice, sir," the waiter replies, and collects the menus and walks away. We make small talk and look out the solid glass windows, looking across the water.

"This is so beautiful," Bella says.

"It is, but compared to you, my love, it's just plain."

"How is it that they will serve us wine?"

"Charlie says you can have one glass. Mr. Jeeves takes care of everything else. Don't worry, love," I say.

As we hold each other's gaze, the waiter brings our first course and our glasses of wine.

"Why, Mr. Cullen, are you trying to get me drunk?" Bella asks sweetly, after I motion her to pick up her glass for a toast.

"Why, yes, I am, Miss Swan. It's all in hopes to help lead you to the places I want to take you. I do hope you're okay with that," I say huskily.

"Why, Mr. Cullen, I think that I'm completely fine with that. I do trust you to take me … anywhere," Bella replies, in her sexy voice.

_Fuck, I swallow hard._

"Here's to you and me going places," Bella says, raising her glass.

"Anywhere, baby," I say, clinking the glasses together.

We start eating our salads, and we both enjoy the food, it's all very good. The main courses arrive and everything is again, outstanding. We both eat and drink our fill. The waiter asks if we would like dessert, but we both decline. We still have an hour before the opera starts.

"Will you dance with me before we go?" I ask, giving her a sheepish look.

"I would love to," she replies and smiles.

Placing my napkin on the table, I stand offering her my hand. Helping her up, I guide her to the dance floor.

"I love dancing with you. You feel so good in my arms; it's like you're meant to be in them. It just feels right," I say, looking in her eyes.

I wish I could read her thoughts. I hope that telling her this, I will be able to see how she feels. I notice her blush, as she looks down.

"I love dancing with you, too, Edward."

She raises her eyes and looks right into my eyes. I hope what I see there is what I've been hoping for. There it is, same as it has been for weeks—I see love.

_Shit, I need to tell her_, _now._

"Bella, I ..."

Beep, Beep, Beep … my watch alarm goes off, telling me that it's time to leave for the opera house.

"We need to go now," I say.

_Shit … fuck … stupid watch. _

"Let me get my handbag," Bella says, as we head back to the table.

I grab the bill and sign it. I had Mr. Jeeves set up an account for me prior to tonight. I leave a generous tip and we leave with a nod to the host. Arriving at the opera house, I pull up to the valet, but by the time I get out and around to Bella's side, he's already helping her out. I notice that he's looking at her chest.

_Stop looking at her, you asshole, she's mine!_

I walk up to her placing my hand on her back, the other on her face. I make sure to cut his view of her.

"Are you ready to go in now, baby?" I ask, giving her a kiss on her temple. Bella smiles at me, leaning into my chest.

"Yes, sweetie, I am."

I look at the valet, who is now glowering at me, as I walk away with Bella on my arm.

_She is mine!_

"Thank you, Edward. You would think he has never seen a woman before. The way he was looking at me, I thought he might try to kidnap me. I hate being looked at like I'm something to eat."

Bella shivers a little while she's talking, so I hug her closer to my side.

"Well, my love, I'm sure he has seen plenty of women before, but none as beautiful as you."

_And you are so beautiful – inside and out._

I get our programs and we take our seats. I watch Bella more than the performance. Bella's face is so expressive, throughout the whole show. By the end of the program, she has tears in her eyes. We both stand with everyone else to give the cast a standing ovation.

"That was bloody brilliant," Bella says in a strong, but fake English accent. "I just loved it, thank you, Edward."

"I loved it, too." I try keep my voice as normal as possible. "Bella, would you like to take a walk with me in the park before we head home?"

She stops and looks at me, not sure what she's looking for, or what she sees. She smiles at me, and hooks her arm through mine.

"I would love that," she smiles.

We walk hand in hand around the park, but it's getting a little cold. When I turn to look at Bella, I remember that she's only wearing her shawl.

"Oh, Bella, baby, you must be freezing. Here, take my jacket, and let's get you home."

I take off my jacket to place over Bella's shoulders.

"Thank you," she says smiling at me.

We get back to the valet, and once our 'Bond' car is brought around, I help Bella into it, taking another quick look at her. God, she looks really good – really fucking good. We get home and Bella goes to change in the bathroom, while I change in our room.

_No, my room_!

No, it's our room. I bang my head against the wall.

_Fuck, just tell her you want more than friendship with her._

No, you have already screwed up with the whole let's-take-a-walk-in-the-freezing- cold park. The poor girl must have been frozen_._

_Yeah, I gave her my jacket! _

Just before you decide to head back—fuck, don't tell her that you want more; if she's not wanting more with you, you're going to ruin today for her – it's her day.

_Yeah, but she may want more with me._

But, she might not, and if she doesn't, then she is going to feel guilty about hurting your feelings. You know she will.

_Fuck!_

I bang my head again on the wall.

_Tell her, you have no choice, you know it. Just say it, 'Bella, I want more than a friendship with you, I want all of you. I want us together as a couple, forever.'_

Fuck! I bang my head on the wall again.

_You can't wait any longer – you need to tell her, now._

Fuck … I bang my head again, but keep doing it this time.

_You have to tell her!_

I don't think I can. I could lose her if I do_._

"I hope you want …" she says.

I wasn't facing her, and I'm hoping that she's not really there. Hoping it's just my fucked up head playing tricks on me.

"I came to see what the banging was. Please tell me what the wall did to you?"

I turn around. Yep, there stands Bella. She's so beautiful in one of my t-shirts that hit her just above her knees.

"Mm … nothing, shit, sorry. I, um … didn't mean to make you wait so long," I say.

I'm not quite sure how long she has been standing there.

"Yeah, I feel like doing that sometimes, too. I hate when I argue with myself, but please tell me which one of you won the argument?"

For fucks sake, please don't say I was talking out loud.

"Yeah, you were," Bella says, with a smile on her face.

_Shit, I must have done it again. _

"No, don't worry. I mean, you haven't said anything out loud that you don't really mean right? The last few minutes, it was just obvious what you were thinking. Anyway, tell me, who won? I'm rather hoping it's the one who was pushing to tell me that he wanted more than friendship with me. Did that one win?" Bella asks looking down at her feet, by the time she finishes talking.

_Yes, she wants more, too_. _I told you so!_

I give myself a high five in my head, and I stand just looking at her.

"Well, I'm taking it that the other side won then, since you're not saying anything. I'll just wait in the living room for you."

Bella is still looking down, as she turns to leave.

_Hey, earth to dipshit! You didn't say anything to her, she thinks you're rejecting her. Talk to her, you fucking moron! _

SHIT!

"Bella, wait please," I almost cry out.

I move as fast as I can, shutting the door before she can get out of it.

"Just wait, please? Sit … sit down – just give me a minute to get my head sorted, please."

I sit Bella on the chair in our room, kneeling in front of her. Bella's still looking down, so I pull her chin up. Once we are looking into each others eyes, I see it. It has always been there, and now I see it clearly. She wants me, too, just as much as I want her. I can't help but smile, hoping she sees it in me, too. As her facial expression changes from the worried look, into recognition, I know she sees it.

"Bella, these last few months with you have been the best of my life. You make me feel alive. I'm so happy you are my best friend, and you always will be. I don't know what will change, but I would like us to be more. I will be anything you want me to be, even if that's just your friend. I will always want more, but I will take only what you willingly give me. I will be anything; friend, confidant, therapist, lover, boyfriend, anything. I will wait for you, too, if you're not ready. I'm not going to push you, but I will always be here for you. I want, no, I _need_ you in my life. I don't know how I've lived without you. I don't think I can live without you now. Now that I know what it's like to have you with me."

My voice goes quiet at the end.

"Well, I was rather hoping that you would be my best friend, my confidant, my therapist, my boyfriend." She stops, closes her eyes, for a few seconds, then opening them again she continues. "Well, and maybe someday soon, my lover. I don't think I am ready for that right now. If it's okay, can we take it slow? I've never had a boyfriend before. Other than you, I've never been out with a guy. The only kiss I have willingly shared was with you." She frowns, and makes a face. "I don't count Jake's kiss, because I did not want that kiss, nor did I kiss him back."

_I don't count the dog, either. He's an asshole, who fucking hurt her. Focus on what's going on now, and not the dog. You have the girl! _

We have the girl! Oh yeah … hell yeah, we have the girl.

I take a deep breath, keeping my inner monologue at bay.

"So, what I'm saying is, I want you to be all of that for me. I want to be all that for you, well except I want to be your girlfriend, not your boyfriend."

I smile at her, and I place my right hand on her face, and the left in her hands.

"Bella, you are all that for me. I kind of already think of you as my girlfriend. Even before this talk tonight, I have wanted no one, but you. I want to take things slow, too, but there's something I really want to do. Even more so now, but since that time in the pool, the thoughts have driven me crazy. It's all I can think about, and it's been so hard not to just do it. Damn it, Bella, can I kiss you? I mean a real kiss," I'm almost begging at this point.

I stroke her cheek with my fingertips, while running my thumb over her lips.

"I really liked that. I've kind of … well, I've wanted that, too," Bella whispers.

_Hallelujah, there is a God._

I lean forward, stopping briefly to look her in the eyes. I see no fear or doubt in her eyes. I only see the darkness of her desire, swimming in molten chocolate pools. I move in slowly, closer until our lips are a mere breath apart.

"Kiss me," she whispers. "Please, kiss me."

Hearing her, knowing she wants this as much as I do, l place my lips on hers. It's like fireworks going off. I can feel the current of our connection zinging through my body. Before I know it, Bella's hands are in my hair, pulling my mouth harder against hers. My hands are on her back, moving up and down, and pulling her toward me. I lift her off the chair, and carry her to our bed. As I place her carefully on the bed, the entire time my lips stay connected to hers.

I run my tongue along her lower lip, asking for access. Everything I feel for this girl explodes inside of me, as she willingly gives me full access to her mouth. There's no fight for dominance; she gladly gives me full control. God, she tastes just as sweet as she smells. It's like her taste was made just for me; it calls to me. I will forever desire the taste of her. This has been the best kiss of my life. If I die tomorrow, I will die happy, because of this kiss. I know that I'm losing myself in her, and I'm happy to do so.

I pull away from her lips giving us both the chance to catch our breath, but I keep my lips on her skin. I keep kissing her up and down her neck, and across her collar bone. Bella pulls on my hair trying to get me closer to her. It makes me happy, because I never feel close enough to her. I hear Bella moan as I move back to her mouth. After a few minutes of more kissing, I can feel Bella push just a little on my shoulder. I stop and look at her; she smiles at me, and glances down.

"Edward, it's just a little fast – not the kissing. The kissing is really good; really, really good."

I don't know why she stopped me, but I look at where she motions down. I'm looking at her chest, her bare chest. I see my hand has not only gone under her—well my shirt, but also I have moved her bra down. My hand is covering her perfect breast. I'm still doing it, oh shit. I'm staring at my hand doing it.

"Fuck, Bella, I'm sorry. I didn't even know I did that, shit. I'm really sorry, baby," I say sheepishly.

I remove my hand, pulling her bra back into place. I move her shirt, _my shirt_, whatever, back down. Oh God, her fucking hot, sexy, smooth, flat body … I'm so hard. I go to apologize again, but stop to see Bella trying to hold in her laughter.

"Bella, baby, what's so funny? You know this is doing nothing for my ego," I say playfully.

"Shit, I'm sorry. It's nothing," Bella says, in a rush to get it out.

I can see she's still trying to hold in her laughter, and has gone red. I'm worried about what's going on in that head of hers.

"Bella, tell me what has gotten you so embarrassed, please?" I ask in a pleading voice. "Isabella, remember no bullshit, just because you're my girlfriend now, doesn't change that."

That felt amazing to say out loud. Yes, Bella Swan is my girlfriend. I feel as if my face is going to crack from smiling so wide.

"Did you like saying that, Edward? Do you like that I'm your girlfriend? Does it make you happy that I get to tell people you're my boyfriend?" She asks me, with an equally large smile on her face.

"Yeah, I did," I smile at her. "Now, stop changing the subject and tell me what's so funny," I say in a demanding tone.

"Okay, it's just that your _doo-da_ is tapping against the top of my leg in a rhythm. I was kind of wondering if it was trying to talk to my _hoo-ha_. You know, in some sort of Morse code?" By the end of Bella's word vomit, she's gone bright red.

I think about what she just said. I should feel guilty that she can feel my cock—or _doo-da_—as she puts it. But instead, I just bust out laughing.

My girl has one hell of a thought process!

"Well, it's called a cock, dick, penis, or even tube sausage, but never doo-da. Baby, if it was talking in Morse code to your pussy, then I am sure it wasn't _just_ talking. I'm sure it would have been _begging_ to come in from the cold. But, I must tell you and your pussy, that we are sorry. I can't help wanting you, and well, he has no manners whatsoever."

I kiss her gently and smile at her. "I wonder if I can put that on my resume. My cock knows how to talk in Morse code," I say, trying to hide my laugh.

Bella hits my arm.

"Stop hitting me, girl," I say. I move so that my cock is no longer against Bella's leg. "I'm sorry, Bella. Baby, the things you make me feel, it's just … fuck! I'm not going to push you, okay? I'm sorry about the whole hand-on-your-breast thing, too, but …" I fade off not wanting to make things worse for me. Before she can say anything, I start back in. "Bella, can I just kiss you some more? Please baby, before we turn in for the night?"

"Yeah, I woul—"

Thank god! Before she can finish what she's saying, I'm kissing her again, and loving it.

If it's possible, I feel myself falling even more in love with her. I stop kissing her and look at her.

"Bella, baby, I can't keep this in anymore. I love you so much. I have been in love with you for a while. I want you, and only you. I'm so scared I am going to screw it up, or hurt you and lose you. I ca … I can't live without you. I don't ever want to live without you," my voice grows weak by the end.

I feel so exposed, but still good, because it's Bella. I know I'm safe with her.

"Thank God, because I love you too. This is new for both of us; we are going to screw up. Making mistakes is a part of being in a relationship, but I'm not going to walk away. As long as we talk to each other, and keep open minds, not believe everything we see, or hear, we'll be okay. I'm only going to leave you if you tell me that you don't want me anymore. I know you would never cheat on me. Just let me be there for you, talk to me when you need me, and don't shut me out. I love you."

"Well, in that case, I get to keep you forever then. I'm always going to want you, love you, and need you."

I kiss her again, this time putting all the feelings I have for her into the kiss and it feels great. As Bella kisses me back with the same intensity, I know she feels the same way I do.

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**A/N: Well first intended kiss and I love yous are exchanged. How do you think things will go when they return to Forks? Will they be able to keep things quiet still? **


	16. Chapter 16

**First post today, watch for more, not sure how many, but watch for more.**

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**Chapter 16: Mr. Banner**

**4 November **

It's poker night, and it's the first time I have seen the guys since Bella and I started dating. Charlie and Martin are happy that we are dating, as long as Bella is. Thankfully, Charlie says that we can still share a room. I enjoy playing poker with the guys, and always have a really good time with them. Bella normally sits in her room reading, or playing her violin; which she does beautifully. Tonight, she is working; she got a call from Mrs. Newton asking for her to do an extra shift. Bella still made dinner for us, and left it in the oven. I'm setting the table and serving it, according to Bella's orders.

"Well, well, here you are. You know you cost me fifty dollars?"

I turn to see Will looking at me.

"What? I don't get it; when did I lose you fifty dollars?" I ask, try to figure out what he's getting at.

"All you had to do is wait until Thanksgiving to make your move on Bella. But no, you had to prove Cole right."

"Just pay up, old man," Cole says with a smirk.

"You guys bet on when I would ask Bella out?" I ask, raising my eyebrow at them.

"Yes," they say together, as Will laughs about it.

"Well, Harry here, he thought Bella would get sick of waiting, and ask you out."

I shake my head at them.

"Yeah, thanks guys. If I knew then that it would be this easy, I would have told her ages ago."

We sit down for dinner, and I get a text from Bella.

**Edward~ don't worry, but just quit my job. Mike was an ass. I need do something before I get home. Be home in two hours or less. Tell Grandpa not to worry, and if Mrs. Newton calls to yell, tell her I'm sorry. I will explain my behavior when I get home. Missing you. Xx B~**

_What the fuck has Mike done now? I swear one of these days I'm going to slap him so hard, he's going to hit a wall._ I smile at the thought of doing that.

"Grandpa, Bella left work already. She says Mrs. Newton may call, but she will explain when she gets home. I think Mike may have upset her," I say quickly, as I text Bella back.

"What the hell has that boy done now?" Charlie asks angrily, knowing we cannot answer.

**Bella, baby, what the hell happened? Are you okay? Did Mike do something to you? Please, baby, I'm worried. Love E~x**

It is only seconds later I get a reply from her; God, I love that she can text fast.

**Edward~ Sweetie, don't worry, I'm fine. I should be home within two hours. As for Mike, yeah, he did something all right, but not to me. I'll tell you when I get home. Love you, go win some cash xx B~**

"She says she'll be home within two hours, and for us not to worry."

I'm still fucking worrying about her. Charlie gets up and makes a call in the kitchen.

"Come on, Bella has got some balls on her. She's a good fighter, too. If she says she's fine, then she's fine," Cole says.

He may be saying something that says he's confident that Bella is okay, but we all hear the worry in his voice. About ten minutes later, Charlie comes back from his phone call, more relaxed.

"Well, she quit her job, and called Bradley a dirty old pervert. She also said Mike was a creepy, perverted bastard. So, she's not working there anymore. She will tell us all about it, when she gets home. She's at the medical center with someone."

Charlie sits down and all the guys look at him with a smirk.

"Well, we better get down to business, before she gets back. It's time to introduce you to the ladies," Cole says, impersonating the godfather voice.

They're all looking at me, and Charlie clears his throat. I turn to him.

"Kid, you know that I have put a lot of trust in you. But, the guys here and I want to introduce you to our ladies. I would like you to meet Bet," says Charlie. With that Charlie brings out his Beretta, and sits it on the table.

"And this here, is Sally," Jack says, bringing out a Glock.

"This is Vivian," Martin says, putting down what I think is a Sig on the table.

"This here is Mather," and Harry puts down a double-barrel shotgun on the table.

"This here is Eve," Cole puts down a revolver.

"So, what you got? A rocket launcher called Rachel?" I turn and look at Will, half joking.

"Nope, I have a spoon," Will says, placing a spoon on the table. "They say I can't play with the rocket launcher anymore, not after the last time," he says sadly.

Cole clears his throat and I turn back to look at him.

"Bottom line is we see you as a friend and a member of the family. We all like you, Edward, but if you hurt Bella, then you'll be using that spoon to dig your own grave. After, of course, we each tag you with our lady friends here. Then we will bury your ass so close to the earth's core, that it will scorch your sorry ass, capisce?" Cole asks in the same godfather voice.

I look at each of them and swallow, knowing that they are not shitting me and they will do this.

"Guys, I love her. I'm not going to hurt her. I sure hope … I mean … I want … hell, if I ever did … will gladly take anything you guys do to me."

At that, all the guys smile at me.

"Right, now that the business is taken care of, let's play some cards," Charlie says.

The guys all put away their 'lady' friends, and we start to play cards. We are on our third hand when Bella walks in. I have folded, so I jump up giving her a hug.

"Hey, baby, are you okay? Do you need me to get you anything?" I ask, as I help her out of her jacket.

_God, she smells so nice, can't believe it's only been four hours from when I last had her in my arms._

It takes everything I have not to kiss her right there in front of the guys.

"Jeez, I think I'm going to be sick. Put her down; we don't want a free show. Plus, we're playing cards – get back to the table," Will says with mock disgust.

"Zip it, old man. Leave the kids alone. I, for one, want to know what happened tonight at Bella's work," Cole says, bringing my thoughts back to what happened tonight.

"Can I get a drink first, guys, I have some apple pie in the fridge. Anyone want some?"

"Yeah," we all say together.

"Bella, sit I will get it, I folded anyway."

I walk into the kitchen getting the plates, pie, and drinks, and setting them on a tray. As I'm trying to work out how to balance it all, Bella comes in.

"What did they do?" Bella asks, looking right at me.

"Nothing," I say.

"What nothing are you talking about?" Bella raises her eyebrows at me, as she asks.

"Really, they just said that I better take good care of you," I say, hoping she believes me.

"Please tell me they did not bring out the ladies?"

I stiffen at the thought of the ladies.

"Damn it; please tell me that they didn't give Will a rocket launcher, that didn't end well the last time."

I laugh and look at her, but I'm not seeing a hint of joking around in her face at all. I swallow the solid fear I now feel, and try to smile.

"Okay, I really want to hear that story, but I'm all right. Yes, I met the ladies. Come on, let's get back, I want to know what happened tonight."

We walk back into the living room.

"Oh, thank God! I hope you weren't doing anything I wouldn't do," Cole says with a smirk.

"Cole, saying that is like giving us a blank page of paper. There is nothing you wouldn't do," Bella replies, and the other guys laugh as Cole growls at Bella.

"Okay, tonight I'm working away. Mrs. Newton has gone to book club when Jessica comes in. She corners Mike and is talking to him. The next thing I know he grabs her arm, calling for his dad and marches her into the office. In the rush, Jessica drops her bag so I go to take it to her. At the office door, I overhear her tell them that she can't go through with the abortion. Jessica told them that she changed her mind, and she wants to keep the baby. Jessica goes on to tell them that she expects them to help her financially."

_Shit, I can't believe he got her pregnant._

"Mr. Newton says that they will tell everyone that she's a whore and sleeps around on poor Mike. He says that she's just using Mike, because his family has the most money. Jessica starts crying saying she was only with the other guys because Mike said it turned him on. She starts crying harder, saying she only did it to please him, and she always made sure the others wore a condom."

_I knew that the fucking bastard was doing that._

"Then, they both start laughing at her, saying no one will believe her. She tells them she will gladly get a DNA test done, because the only person she was with, without a condom, was Mike. Then I heard Mike slap her, and say she will be getting the abortion even if he has to ram the pill down her throat. I walk in the office having heard enough and pull her away. I tell Mr. Newton that he a sick, twisted pervert and to shove his shitty job up his ass. Then, I turn to Mike and tell him that he is a vile, slimy, perverted bastard, and if touches Jessica again, I will feed him his dick."

Bella stops, takes a deep breath, and holds up her hands.

"I just couldn't find a horrible enough name to call him. Anyway, at that point, Mrs. Newton came in and says, 'Bella, I never'," Bella says in a perfect voice imitating Mrs. Newton. "So, I replied 'Yeah, and you never will with a pervert for a husband and a son'."

I can't help but chuckle at this, as do the other guys.

"I left, taking Jessica with me. I drove Jessica to the Medical Center. She had already taken the first tablet, but vomited within fifteen minutes of taking it. They weren't sure if it will cause her to abort or not. I called her mom and dad for her, and sat with her until her mom got there. She wants to go and stay with her dad; she's hoping he will let her."

That may just be the thing she needs—a fresh start and Jessica has always been a bit of a daddy's girl. When her dad left, Jessica went downhill, because she was really hurt by it.

"You did the right thing, Bella. Bradley Newton has always been a dick, and Alex has always been a stuck up bitch. Poor Jessica, hope she's okay."

I am stunned to hear Charlie swear, but agree with what he says.

"She was fine; she was thinking about calling Alice and Angela. I told her to go for it, she would never know what they would say if she doesn't try."

I smile at how willingly Bella helped Jessica after all the crap Jessica did to her. I kiss Bella on the temple, hugging her at the same time.

"Okay, cut that shit out. Let's play another hand now," Will says, breaking my stare into Bella's eyes.

"So, how much are you down?" Bella whispers in my ear.

"Seventy, so far; I just can't get into it tonight."

Bella sits on my knee, and I have lost all hope of my head being in the game. I watch as Jack deals, Bella takes control of my hand, and tells me what to do.

"Hey, Edward, are you playing, or are you going to let your woman decide what you're doing?" Harry asks, while tapping on the table.

I can feel Bella rolling her eyes at him, as she leans close to my ear.

"Edward, sweetie, call," she whispers in my ear.

"I see your ten and call," I say.

I look at my hand for the first time; I have a flush, fuck … how did that happen?

"Argh … shit," I hear from the guys.

_I can't believe that I just won the pot; there's a hundred and fifty bucks in there._

"That's what you guys get for threatening my guy with the ladies."

I chuckle into her neck as she collects my winnings and the guys all growl at us. Bella crosses her eyes and sticks her tongue out at them.

_By God, she looks cute doing that._

**10 November**

Jessica has not been back to school, and there are many rumors going around about her. Some people are even saying that she's pregnant, even though we doubt they know it's the truth. Jessica did call Alice and Angela, and they've gone to see her. Since Alice is still not talking to me, I don't know what they talked about. Jessica sent a text message thanking Bella for being there that night. She tells Bella that so far everything is well and that she is moving to her dad's in December. Her parents need some time to sort some stuff out for her and her mom wants to spend Christmas with her, too. At lunch, I sit at my new table. I have been sitting by myself for the first few days, but Seth starts sitting with me; he's happy to keep me company. Bella says that I can sit with her and Bree, but I want to keep things the way they are for now.

I watch as Bella gets up to go to biology. She always goes a bit early to this class. I follow her out and watch as she first walks Bree to her class, then heads to her own. I smile, because I love watching her walk. The problem is I look like a creep. But, I love looking at her ass, and by God she has a nice ass. I slow down, as she heads into the girls' bathroom.

"So, did you and Rose enjoy the opera then?" I hear behind me.

I turn to see Jasper standing at his locker.

"What, I'm not seeing Rose; what're you talking about?"

_This is starting to really piss me off. _

"Well you see, Rose was at the Opera in Seattle, on the twenty-second and Alice looked at your bank statement and you paid for two tickets for that show on that day."

_Great, I have no privacy whatsoever! _

"I'm so fucking not happy about this. How the fuck could you? She's like a sister to me, and Emmett is your brother. You know what, you can go fuck yourself. I'm done with this friendship. I have Alice crying every night, because of you and Rose. What the fuck have you done to her? Rose has been really bitchy, every time Alice or I call her."

I can tell that Jasper is getting angrier by the minute.

"Look, Jasper, I'm not dating Rose. Rose has always been a bitch; you just chose to ignore it. In case you have forgotten, you are dating my sister."

I try to calm myself down; I see Bella looking my way with a frown as she heads to our class.

"Alice is no sister of yours, as I've said I'm—"

Jasper's voice is cut off, when we hear a loud bang.

"Jake, what the hell are you doing? Help," Bella's voice shrieks.

I turn just in time to see Jacob coming out of our biology class as he slams Bella into the locker again. I take off and run towards them. Jacob has his hand around Bella's neck, and he's picking her up off of the floor almost a foot. Bella's small hands are on Jake's arm. Bella has her feet against his pelvis, as she pushes him, trying to get him to loosen his grip on her. However, Jake doesn't loosen his grip, and she is going blue. I try and pull him off her.

"For fucks sake, help! He's going to kill her," I yell.

I slam my fist into every part of him, but it's having little to no effect on him at all. I pick up the fire extinguisher and slam it into the shoulder of the arm that has Bella by the neck. He turns to me and stares for a few seconds, then drops Bella and starts hitting me hard. No matter how hard I hit him, nothing seems to hurt him. I see Jasper standing there, just watching. Just then, Felix and three other teachers pull him off me. The entire time he continues fighting against them, trying to get to me.

I get up and check on Bella, I crouch down to her.

"Bella, it's Edward, can you hear me?" I lift my hand to her cheek. "Bella, please, I need you look at me."

Bella is still looking into the classroom. I turn to see what she is looking at and there is Mr. Banner lying on the floor. I lean forward, blocking her view.

"You're okay, baby. I'm here, but I need to go check him. Just take small breaths, okay? Small breaths, if you need me just call to me, and I'll come right back."

I turn looking around at the students that have come to see what is happening. Alice has turned up as well, and is standing with Jasper now.

"Alice, sit with Bella, please she's in shock."

Alice just looks at me.

"Oh, hell Alice, this for her, not for me. Please, Mr. Banner is really hurt, please."

At that, Alice and everyone look into the classroom. I hear lots of gasps coming from a variety of students and teachers. Alice runs over to Bella crying. When I get into the classroom, I freeze. Jake has beaten Mr. Banner up pretty badly. I close my eyes trying to shut out the images of my mom and dad, as they start to appear in my fucked up head. I feel the nurse run past me with a first aid kit.

_Come on, Edward, Mr. Banner is always good to you. You need to snap out of this, and help him, every second counts. Your mom and dad aren't here, just breathe and focus on what needs to be done. _

I move to him and take control over what the nurse is doing. I try and keep fear away, but I can hear my voice shake as I speak.

"Mr. Banner, it's me, Edward, can you open your eyes for me?" There's no response from him. "Mr. Banner, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand." Again, there's no response from him. He has many open wounds, and I start to bandage them to slow down the blood flow.

"Mrs. Night, can you hold this on the wound on his head, while I bandage his legs, please. I'm going to need the back and neck braces from the nurse's room. I also need four other good sized, strong guys to come in and help us strap Mr. Banner to the board. Call 911; tell them we need an ETA on the EMT. Call the hospital and tell them there's a serious trauma at the high school; let them know it is bad."

Everyone just looks at me for a few seconds.

"Like now!" The tone of my voice makes them do as I order. Before I know it, I have the items I ask for from the nurse's office. I put the neck brace on Mr. Banner, and after bandaging him up; we get him on the back brace. I silently thank God, that we are one of the schools that have applied for this stuff for injuries due to practices and home games.

At that the EMTs arrive, one goes over to Bella, as Bob comes into the classroom.

"Hey, Edward, what do we have here?"

"This is Mr. Banner, he's thirty-three, has a compound fracture to his right leg, has been unconscious for at least twenty minutes. Breathing shallow, heart rate was fifty, but dropping, now at forty-four. He's unresponsive, open wounds on right leg, lip, nose, and head, front and back."

The second EMT comes in.

"I just sent for a second ambulance, it will arrive in about ten minutes."

He goes to check me over, but I shake my head.

"Is Bella okay? She was in shock when I was with her."

"She's still in shock; there's bruising around her neck area, but her oxygen levels are fine."

I nod, as he moves to check my sides.

"I'm fine, the second crew can see to me, get him to hospital."

"Edward, thank you for the information and doing all the prep work for us. You did a great job," Bob says patting the top of my arm. The two EMTs and the four guys I asked to help, carry Mr. Banner to the gurney.

I walk over to where Bella is; she still has not moved. Alice has moved away from her, and is in Jasper's arms. Mrs. Night, the school nurse, is with Bella. I slowly crouch down next to her and look her over. I can clearly see where Jacob grabbed her, there's bruising appearing already.

"Bella, can you hear me, you're going to be okay – just stay calm."

Bella doesn't even look at me. I'm about to pick her up in my arms, but get pulled away by Demetrius. As the second set of EMTs goes over to Bella, they help her to stand and walk her out. I'm so busy watching after her, I don't register what's been said to me or what I have repeated. As soon as they are done with me, I make my way to the waiting ambulance and Bella. I take her small hand in mine, hoping to bring her some comfort. As we set off to the hospital, I text Martin to tell him what happened. I hope that he can get here; I know both Charlie and Bella are going to need him tonight.

Bella's quiet the whole way to the hospital. As we enter the hospital, they take Bella straight in. As I get pushed back from her, I hear Bella let out a whimper.

"Can't I come and sit with her, she's in shock? Please, she knows me," I can hear the anger in my voice.

"I'm sorry, you're not a family member, and you will have to stay here. Let us deal with her," the nurse says, using her professional voice.

"Look," I look at her name badge, "Mrs. Freemen, she is my friend; I need to sit with her."

Nurse Freemen looks behind me to the security officers.

"Please sit down; a nurse will come to look at you soon. If you don't calm down, you will be asked to leave."

She walks away from me and I'm pissed that I am not allowed to stay with Bella; I know she needs someone with her.

_This is such bullshit, why the fuck can't I stay with her._

Since I don't know where my dad is, I can't get him to overrule it. I pick up my cell phone; I know who might be able to help.

"Hello, I need to speak to Peter please, it's an emergency." "Who's calling please?" says Mrs. Goodly's voice on the phone.

"It's Edward, please, I need to talk to him."

"Please wait a moment, and I'll see if he can take your call."

I'm really in no mood to wait. Thankfully she's only gone a moment or two.

"Putting you through, please hold."

"Hello, Edward, what's wrong?" Peter knows that I have never called him, and would not do so unless I really need him.

"Please, Peter, help… it's Bella. We're in the ER. Jacob attacked one of our teachers, and Bella walked in on him. He picked her up by the neck and slammed her into the lockers. She's in shock; I was able to get a response from her, but now they say I can't sit with her. Please, can you tell them to let me in, or can you come here and make sure she's okay? Please, Peter, I don't know what to do."

"Edward, I need you to calm down, okay? I am going to hang up, but call you straight back from my cell phone. Just give me three minutes, please?" He hangs up, and I go back to pacing the floor.

Ring … Ring.

"Peter?" I ask, hopeful it's him, having not checked the caller ID.

"Edward, I'm on my way down to the ER right now. Hang on. Cancel all my appointments for this afternoon; explain there has been an emergency. Give everyone a new appointment, thanks."

I can't hear Mrs. Goodly's reply.

"Okay, Edward, first, how are you? Any flashbacks? Did you see Mr. Banner?"

I know he is worrying about me, too, but right now, Bella is all I can think of.

"Yeah, I saw him. I helped him, did first aid on him, but, Peter, I'm worried about Bella. She was so quiet. Please tell her I'm here, and that I love her."

"Edward, I will do that – I'm in the ER right now. I will try and speak with you later, okay? If you need me, call me back on my cell phone, you know the number." I hang up, and I start pacing again.

"My granddaughter got brought in here; the school called me. Is she okay; her name is Isabella Swan?"

I turn and run toward Charlie and Harry.

"Grandpa!"

He turns to me and hugs me, "Martin called, too, what happened?"

I shake my head at him.

"I'm sorry, so sorry. I called Peter, he's with her; they wouldn't let me in there."

Before I can tell him what happened, a nurse comes over to us.

"Mr. Swan, you can come through now," he looks at me.

"Go, Charlie, I will watch Edward. You take care of her," Harry says, patting my back.

After sitting, waiting with Harry for more than two hours, a doctor comes and checks me over. Luckily after X-rays, I find out nothing's broken, just bruising.

"How's Bella, the girl I was brought in with?" I ask for about the hundredth time.

"As you've been told, Mr. Cullen, several times, we can't give out information on other patients," he says. Glaring daggers at me, as the door opens and Martin and Peter walk in.

"Sorry, gentlemen, you can't be in here," the asshole doctor says.

"Yes, we can, I'm Peter, I'm Edward's therapist, and this is Agent Swan."

Peter and Martin show him identification which he huffs at, and then walks out.

"Bella's fine," Martin sighs.

Martin gives me a hug, and pats me on the back.

"She's got some bad bruising around her neck. She lost her voice and is in shock, but is starting to come round a bit. She's been asking for you, and sent me here to sit with you. She wants to go home; the doctor and Peter here say to keep an eye on her over the next twenty-four hours. I'm going to camp in with her tonight." He chuckles a little. "It's been nine years since the last time I camped in with her. When Renee sent her for a week after Phil died was the last time."

Martin shakes his head, clearing his thoughts I'm guessing.

"Mr. Banner is in surgery. Mr. Black," Martin spits his name out, "beat him up pretty bad. He's got six broken ribs, one was crushed, and they are trying to remove the loose fragments of it. They said they would know more after surgery. What is still there may heal, as long as the membrane surrounding the rib has been left intact."

Martin's shaking his head.

"But, the breakage of that rib caused his left lung to collapse. He also has a broken leg, jaw, and nose. He has a lot of head trauma and swelling in his brain. There are a few other injures, but those are the worst ones. Your dad is working on him now."

I let out a breath, and I'm glad to know that my dad is in with Mr. Banner. I'm still hurt that neither he, nor any other member of my family, came to check on me.

_Fuck! There Mr. Banner fights for his life, and you're moaning that daddy dearest didn't come and see you first. Talk about being selfish._

"I'm going to prescribe you some tablets for the next few days. I know you are worried about Bella, but I don't want you get to over stressed about this. Take one before bed, and then one in the morning. Don't drive, as it can make you feel a bit out of it. Call me if you need to see me before Monday. I'm pleased that you called me, Edward. I'm sorry that I can't stay longer, but they have asked me to look in on Mr. Black. I have called someone from Seattle to come in; I really don't want him as a patient. But, I'm the only qualified doctor here that can see him."

At that, Peter gets up and walks out. I shake my head.

"Come on, I'm taking you home," Martin tells me to come with him. The doctor gives me some pain pills, and the tablets Peter wants me to take. I don't talk the whole way home, but Martin does right before I get out of his car.

"Edward, you can't change what he did to Mr. Banner, but I'm glad you were there for Bella. I would come into your house, but I'd end up giving them a piece of my mind. Your dad should have made sure that you were okay first. Your mom should have come to get you. None of this is your fault."

I give him a nod.

"Take it easy tonight," he says again. "Stay here tonight, Edward, we will take care of Bella. You need to take care of you, but if you need me to come for you, I will. We will gladly take care of you, too. Call me, and I'll pick you up at the end of your driveway. Do not drive there yourself, okay? Talk to them, Edward, tell them everything, if need be. Both Jack and I will have a word with them if you do, but I can't promise not to give them a stern talking to."

I give him another nod.

"Thank you, Martin, but no, I'm fine. Tell Bella I will see her tomorrow. Tell her to text or call if she wants. Are you sure she's okay?"

He gives me a nod.

I enter the house and see Mom, Alice, and Jasper all in the living room watching a film.

"I'm going go to bed; the tablets they gave me make me feel tired."

They all give me a nod. I leave the room and head upstairs. Just as I am changing for bed, Mom comes in.

"Sorry, I would have come to get you, but Alice was so upset over what happened. Dad didn't want her being by herself; he said that Mr. Banner got the worse of it. Dad says he's in ICU, and that Bella had some bad bruising around her neck. He's staying on longer trying to calm down Jacob. He says he will tell me what that was about later. Then, Mr. Swan said that his son, Mark, is it? Well, he said that he would give you a lift home," she gives me a small smile.

"I'm fine, Mom, I just want to get to bed now. I know Alice was upset; I think half the school was in shock about what happened. I hope she feels better now."

I try to reassure her that I'm fine, and I don't even correct her on Martin's name.

"Yeah, I ended up calling Jasper to come over; she just wouldn't calm down. Alice has cried most of the night."

At that we hear Alice calling, and Mom leaves to go to her. I take some of the tablets and text Bella.

**Hey, Baby, how do you feel? I miss you, love E~ xoxo**

I go into my wallet and take out Bella's picture and look at it. I smile – she is truly the one great thing in this world that I have. I love her with all my heart; she and her family are the only family I feel like I have. I feel my heart breaking, as I think about what has been happening the last few months. I knew this was coming; the family has been on edge for so long now. I had hoped that if I went away it would have helped. It helps me, because I get Bella. But, my family is at a breaking point. It just so happens that they are breaking down when I need them the most.

My cell buzzes with a picture message.

**Hi sweetie, I miss you like mad. I just got home, and I am heading to bed. I can't talk a lot; the doctor says it should take a minimum of three days for my voice to come back, but I need to rest it until then. How are you? Martin says you are pretty beaten up. I'm so sorry I didn't move to help you. I kept telling my legs to get up and move to help, but they wouldn't work for me. I'm so sorry. I wanted to see you, but Grandpa said that you needed to go home to your family. I love you – I hate that you got hurt. Grandpa is not allowing me to go to school tomorrow, he put his foot down, and Martin said he'd handcuff me to my bed if I tried. Goodnight kisses, I love you. B~ xoxo**

At the end of the message is a photo of Bella sending me her goodnight kiss.

She blames herself again; like it's her fault Jake is loony. I still can't believe what he did today. I'm so glad she didn't come and help me; she would have been hurt even more than she is. I'm going to miss her tomorrow, I wonder if I can skip after lunch to spend some time with her. I really need to talk to her; I wish I could hear her voice.

**Baby girl, would you like me to call you? Then you can hear my voice. If you want that, you have to promise me that you will not try to talk. I need your voice to heal so I can hear it later. E~ xoxo**

It's not even a second later my phone rings, and it's Bella.

"Hey, my sweet baby, I'm really missing you. I'm so sorry I didn't get there before he hurt you."I know I'm close to crying, but I calm myself down for her.

"Edward, no you …"

I stop her, "Baby, no talking, remember. How about I read to you? Let's see what I have."

I see a book and pick it up, and smile.

"I found one …" I read to Bella for over two hours, when I hear the sound of her sleeping. I stay on the phone just listening to her.

"Edward, is that you, son?" Charlie's voice asks, coming on the phone.

"Yeah, don't worry, I read to her. I didn't let her talk." I try to get out, before the hurt is evident in my voice.

"Are you okay, son? You had it pretty bad today do you need someone to talk to?" Charlie asks, making it so easy to talk to him.

"It just scares me a little; it didn't matter how hard I hit him. I couldn't get him off of her. She was turning blue, and then I saw what he did to Mr. Banner. When I saw him, it was like seeing my parents laying there. It took me a few minutes to get the images out of my head."

I know he will understand what I'm talking about.

"I tried to help him, I really did; it's just … Grandpa, he was in pretty bad shape. I wish I could have been one more person, or been in two places at once. I hate the fact I had to leave her alone so I could help him. I feel guilty that I didn't help him sooner; every second counts in times like that. It hurts that I doubt any of my family cared at all about me. I don't know if my dad even asked about me, or how I was doing. I was all alone; he never even called me. No one from my family asked how I am. I know that my dad asked about Alice, but then she's his daughter. I have asked him to come to see Peter with me; he has let me down two times now. He never even bothered to call to tell me he couldn't make it. I'm pissed off and I'm hurt. I'm upset that my mom didn't even come to the hospital, even though she was looking after Alice. I know Alice was in shock, and that makes me feel like I'm a selfish prick. What hurts the most though is my friend acted as if he didn't care. Jasper has been my friend for over ten years. Up until three months ago, I told him everything. Today he didn't even help me, when Jacob was kicking the crap out of me; he just stood there, watching. Everything has fallen apart. I knew this was coming, but it still hurts. I'm just glad that I have Bella and you in my life."

I hope that he can't hear me sniffling.

"Edward, from what I heard at the hospital, what you did saved Mr. Banner's life. You checked on your girlfriend first, not even thinking about yourself. As soon as you knew that he was hurt, you took care of him and did a great job. You did good, son, and I'm so proud of you. You're not selfish for wanting your parents to be there. Carlisle should have checked on you, or had someone tell you where he was. It would have taken no time at all, for him to ask a nurse to give you a message. He could have said that he was glad you were okay, and he would see you at home. Your mom could have sent you a text message. You have every right to be upset. This thing with speculation of you seeing Rose has gotten out of hand. I think it's time they all know that you're dating Bella. It may help to get things back on track," Charlie says.

I sigh, trying hard to control my breathing, needing the tears to stop.

"But, Grandpa, shouldn't they trust me, and my word? Maybe we can talk it over, and tell them this weekend. I just want them to trust _me_, for me. I want them to take my word when I tell them stuff. I want to be a part of the family again."

I feel resigned, like I have given up hope. I can hear it in my voice.

"Son, do you want to come over tonight? I can send Martin to come get you?"

I smile thinking about how much love this man shows me.

"No, I'm okay. I'll just to go to sleep. Good night, Grandpa."

"Goodnight, Edward, I will see you tomorrow, son."

I hang up and try my best to keep the images of Mr. Banner, and my mom and dad out of my thoughts. No matter how hard I try, I see the three of them lying there. I see them dead, or bleeding to death. I only manage to get two hours of sleep. I wake up in a cold sweat, gasping to catch my breath. I miss Bella so much; I really need to be with her.

**11 November**

The next morning I get washed, and get dressed. Alice no longer tells me what to wear, and in a way I miss that. I head down for breakfast and sit at the table.

"Would it be okay if I bring my girlfriend over on Saturday, I would like you all to meet her?"

"We already know Rose, Edward. And _no_ you can't. I will not have you flaunting this relationship under Emmett's nose," my dad says from behind me.

"I. Am. Not. Dating. Rose! I have been seeing someone; we were just friends. We started dating a few weeks ago. I would like you all to meet her," I say through clenched teeth.

"Do not take that tone of voice with me, boy. So what, you're screwing some poor girl on the side, so it looks like you're not dating Rose. Well, I trust nothing you say. I called Rose myself. Rose told me that you were dating her. That's all the proof I need," at that he starts to walk out. "Oh, before I forget, Emmett's coming home first thing tomorrow. Make sure that you pack a bag and find a friend to stay with. I want some family time, with my family."

I turn to face Mom, pleading with my eyes for her to believe in me.

"I'm not dating Rose. I swear I'm not. I have not even seen her in over two months. I swear to you all, I haven't been touching her, seeing her, dating her, I really haven't."

I feel as if I have pleaded my case, and I have been bone crushingly clear.

"You know, I thought that maybe you and Bella were getting close, but now I see you were just fooling me. I was there when she said that you and she have been seeing each other. She even told us how she visited you in Chicago for two weeks. She told us how you were so nice to her, buying her stuff. I can't believe you told me you took Bella out, when it was really Rose."

After that, she walks away. I'm pissed that Rose is now outright lying to them.

I get to school and I notice Martin's car is there. As I head into school, I overhear people whispering about Mr. Banner and Bella. I head for the office so I can see what's going on. When I get there, I see Bella is upset. Charlie is fuming mad, and Martin is on the phone. Aro has a smirk on his face, and then I see Caius, who in turn is looking right at me. Bella gets up and walks out of the office.

"Mr. Cullen, please head to your homeroom class. You are not facing any actions for your behavior yesterday."

I look at Bella wanting to go to her.

"Now, Mr. Cullen," Aro raises his voice.

Martin gives me a nod from behind Aro's back, as I walk out the door, my phone buzzes with a text message.

**Edward~ Delete after you read this. Jacob had a drug screen done. It was positive with high levels of LSD, cocaine, and steroids. He's going to plead temporary insanity. He's claiming that he found out that Bella and Mr. Banner were having a sexual relationship. He claims he confronted him and Mr. Banner hit him. He says he doesn't remember anything else. Bella is being suspended for up to two weeks until they have everything checked out. Something is going down, because Aro got a call in front of us from Demetri. He made sure he made a big show of taking it. M~**

_Fucking sonofabitch! Saying that about Bella, such a fucking asshole! Jacob is lucky he's in the hospital, or I would have put him in there, or maybe even the fucking morgue._

I delete the message and storm in to my homeroom class. I almost break the door with the force I use to open and close it. Everyone looks at me, startled. Just as Mrs. Cope starts to speak, we hear the tones over the intercom.

"This is your principal, Mr. Aro Volturi. All students, please head to your lockers and stand in front of them. No one is to open their lockers. Teachers, please watch all students in the vicinity of your classrooms. No exceptions."

We all head to our lockers and stand in front of them.

I turn and notice Bella is heading to her locker, and Demetri is right beside her. Demetri opens her locker and starts ripping everything out, but finds nothing. Bella, Charlie, and Martin are told they have to stay until the end of the search, but are told to move to the exit. About an hour later they come to me, I open my locker knowing there is nothing in it. I start to get an uneasy feeling, when I see Aro smirk at me. The next thing I know I am on the floor, with Demetri arresting me. I look at him and he shows me some baggies. One with tablets in it, one with powder, and one with small squares paper in it. Fuck, that rotten bastard has set me up. Can this shit get any worse?

* * *

**A/N: So was anyone expecting that outcome? Jake was taking a bunch of different drugs and wacked out. Now they are claiming Bella's screwing a teacher. Someone planted drugs in Edwards locker and he's under arrest. None of the Cullen's care at all about Edward, not even his 'friend' Jasper. What do you think is going to happen now?  
**


	17. Chapter 17

**Yeah another big chapter, at least one more today, the reviews have been AMAZING.**

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**Chapter 17: Set up, Family Fail!**

**11 November**

"Edward Cullen, I am arresting you on the charge of possession of illegal drugs, with the intent to sell. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, the court will appoint one to you. Do you understand your rights as I have explained them to you?"

Demetri handcuffs me and pulls me out of the building as the other lockers finish being searched. I see Bella getting held back by Martin. He has his arms around her, and he is again doing something with his phone. I give Bella a quick wink to show her that I'm fine. I arrive at the police station and get booked, then unceremoniously thrown into a cell.

I'm left there for a few hours before he drags me out, again handcuffing me. He's leading me into an interview room.

"I'd like to make a phone call. I also need someone to get me my lawyer," I try and make my voice sound confident.

"Sorry, not a chance! No call and no lawyer. Your parents don't give a fuck about you. I guess that's what happens when you date your brother's girl. Right now, your family's home is being ripped apart searching for more of your drugs. So, I don't think you're going to be their favorite person," Demetri says with a grin.

"Well, I'm not talking without a lawyer."

Demetri walks behind me and hits me in the side, and then he smashes my head against the table and holds it there.

"Oh, but you are you going to give me a full confession, and you are going to go to prison…"

He's cut off by a noise coming from outside the room. The door is unlocking and in walks Cole.

"What in the hell is going on in here? Why was this door locked, and what the hell happened to my client? Get the hell out now, and get the Chief of Police in here right now!"

At the way Demetri looks at him, he might be planning to defy the order Cole gives him.

Cole squares up to him, standing at his full height. It's then that I realize just how tall Cole is. He is at least half a foot taller than Demetri, and Demetri stands about six feet tall.

"What part of that did you not understand?"Cole asks, in a tone which has me a little scared.

Demetri goes to leave the room, but Cole barks out at him.

"Handcuff keys, now."

Cole holds out his hand, Demetri hands them over, and leaves.

"Shit, Edward, are you okay? Martin called me when the school called him this morning. Then he sent me a text about what went down at the school. I was already heading here, when you got brought in. If they ask, I was having lunch with you today, to talk about the school, and you getting hurt. I made a show of going to the school asking for you, they didn't know that I was a lawyer. They told me you were here, got it?" Cole asks and reaches in his pocket.

He hands me a hankie for my bloody nose, as I give him a half nod.

"Yeah, don't worry I'll get you out of this and home. We will also tell your family what's happening, okay?"

I just give him another nod. They take blood to do a drug screen on me. Cole demands that they draw another tube and calls to have a courier come to the station to retrieve it. Cole says that he wants his own test taken in the presence of the Chief of Police. After several hours of interrogation, Cole orders dinner for us. He tries to get me to sleep a little, but I can't shut down my mind.

**12 November**

It's six in the morning; I had to stay here all night. Cole has stayed with me the whole time, which I am thankful for. I have not been charged with anything official, yet. Cole has told them that anyone could have placed the drugs in my locker. Cole demands that the prosecutors fingerprint the baggies, inside and out. Cole demands that they show clear proof that I had, in fact, touched those baggies. Cole manages to pull in an investigative team, and the District Attorney agrees to let the team observe the printing and processing of the evidence. They also take complete copies of everything. I still don't know how Cole managed to pull all this off, but I'm glad. I feel safe with him on my side. I know there's no way that they will be able to prove that the drugs are mine. I never touched those baggies, and I know my blood is clean. Without any print evidence, and with a negative blood test on drugs, they have to release me. I'm told until the investigation is complete, I'm not to leave the state of Washington. However, I have to tell them where I'm at and if I leave the area.

Cole drops me off at school, so I can get my car. He leaves to go to Charlie and Bella's house. He is going to nap for a few hours, and Jack is coming in around noon. When Jack gets here, along with Cole, Martin, Charlie, and Bella, they are coming to fill in my family about what has been happening.

I get home to see that all my clothes are outside along with my family, even Emmett. Dad steps forward, as I get out of the car.

"I told you what would happen; we had Mr. Swan call us telling us that you're dating his granddaughter. He says you have been spending time with Bella and not Rose. But, you know what? Aro came here to talk to us; he told us all about Mr. Banner and Isabella. Aro thinks that you're blackmailing her."

"What? No, Dad, he's lying. I love—"

He cut me off with a rise of his hand, and he steps toward me.

"Shut the fuck up, Edward. I don't want to hear it. After Aro's enlightening information, your mom told me about when you were at music camp sharing a room with Isabella. From there, we figured out that is how you got the information. What are you getting from her anyway, what can she give you? I mean, why blackmail and use her?"

I know not to say anything; he's not really asking me a question.

"You have no idea of what she has been through. I don't get how you could allow a teacher to abuse her like that. Are you giving her drugs too? How many people are you supplying anyway? Where are you getting all of your drugs? Is this the new friend you have? We had every parent in Forks call us demanding that if it comes back that their child is on drugs that we pay for treatment. The whole fucking town, Edward, the whole school had to be tested. Your mom is embarrassed by you; you are an embarrassment to us all."

He shakes his head, running his hand though his hair.

"You are gone from my house; you will not step foot in my house ever again. I told Mr. Swan that I am not interested in your lies, or his stories to protect you. I know he was planning on coming here, but I told him to keep away from my family. I don't want to hear any more lies. Edward, you are like the black plague, you bring chaos wherever you go."

His tone is different; the emotions are gone from his voice now.

"We will not be paying for anyone's drug treatment. You supplied the drugs, you pay for it. You are nineteen; take care of your own shit. I pulled my accountant and lawyer from your interests; they are no longer overseeing anything for you. I want nothing to do with you, or Masen Companies. You have until Monday to get your bike and shit out of my house."

At that, he drags both Mom and Alice, who are crying into the house. Emmett walks forward and punches me.

I wish people would stop hitting me, or at least move to another an area other than my face.

"I can't believe you got my Rose hooked on drugs. Is that how you got her to fuck you? Jasper, too, he came forward and said he was taking uppers and LSD. Alice is heartbroken that you would hurt her by giving him drugs."

He hits me again, and my dad comes back outside.

"Come on, son, leave the trash outside, you don't want to dirty your hands."

Emmett walks away from me and into the house. I pick up my stuff and get back in my car, not looking back.

Before I know it, I'm in Seattle and I don't know why I came here. I head to the local store, buy some beer, Jack Daniels, and cigarettes, and head back to my apartment. I don't know how long I have been here drinking, when I hear my door open. I look around to see Bella standing there.

"It's okay, he's here. Yeah, will do, thanks, call you later," she whispers into her phone.

"Edward, are you okay? I was at your house; they said they threw you out. I was calling you, I tried, and we all tried. They didn't listen to us; they think you're blackmailing me."

Bella kneels down in front of me; I can see the concern in her eyes.

"Yeah, baby girl, they told me that, too."

I let out a laugh. Good God, how much have I had to drink? My head hurts. I turn and look at Bella; I can see she has been crying. Her eyes are red and swollen. My dad is right; I bring chaos with me wherever I go. Just look at what I have done to my family. They're falling apart, and it's my entire fault. I even made my mom and Alice cry. I can't let my fucked up life hurt Bella any more than it already has. I need to let her go. I suck in a breath and try to control my emotions, so I can do what needs to be done.

"Edward, how much have you drank?" Bella asks, as she looks around me. "It smells like an ashtray in here, have you been smoking non-stop?"

I can hear her voice giving out on her. Fuck … another thing I did to her. She was strangled yesterday, or is it the day before? Fuck, I don't know, all I know is that I'm hurting her, again. I have to do this, I have to save her.

"I'm done with us, I don't want it anymore, and I don't want to be your boyfriend. I want you to go, now."

I surprise myself, by getting it all out in one shot. I look down now; I can't look at the hurt on her face.

"Edward, please don't push me away, I am staying. I know you're lying to me."

She puts her hands on my face.

"No, I'm not," I say, slurred.

I push her away from me, and I take another drink of Jack, straight from the bottle.

"Stop drinking, Edward that shit is not helping."

Bella grabs the bottle of Jack away from me, and places it on the table.

"Look me in the eyes and say it! Edward, you look me right in the eyes, and you tell me you don't love me. Then, you say you don't want me."

I square up my shoulders, and look into her eyes. Fuck – I can't do this, I just can't hurt her.

Pretend she is that stupid bitch, Rose. Just visualize Rose sitting there, and get it out. Bella will go away. She will leave and be safe, where we can't hurt her anymore.

Don't do this, we need her.

We will hurt her if she stays with us.

I take some deep breaths; I conjure up that bitch's face. I imagine I am talking to Rose. I no longer see Bella's sweet face.

"I don't want you. I don't love you. I want you to go. Get the fuck out. Go home, you fucking bitch."

There I said it, but now I see Bella. I see it; the hurt in her eyes. Oh my God, what have I done? It worked, but fuck...I want to take it back. All I see is just Bella, but I bite my tongue, hoping she leaves before I break down.

"Edward, you need to calm down; I am not going anywhere. I will not leave you like this."

She moves, as if she is going touch me. I jump up and start to pace the floor. I have to make her go, I cannot let her show me love—I don't deserve it.

"This is all your fault—your lies to them, to me, making them think that I could do that. I lost my family; they hate me. I can't ever go home; I'm not welcome anymore. It's _your_ fault," I am now yelling. What I am saying? I move quickly toward her, so that I am towering over her. She is startled by my closeness and the harsh sound of my voice. "If I spent more time at home, then maybe they would not think I was dating yo…Rose."

I almost give the game away. I am walking away from her, because her smell is too overpowering. I look back at her, again conjuring up that fucking bitch Rose.

"We will sort it out, I will fix this," she says.

I pick up and throw the half empty bottle of Jack I have been drinking, not caring what it hit.

"Fix it? Really, you're going to fix it? I have nothing left; it's all your fault. My dad can't even look at me. My mom for the first time has turned her back on me. My mom was crying, so was Alice. I have no friends, none, and all because of you. I keep thinking that if we told them from the beginning it would have made a difference. But, no, I couldn't take that chance, they would have hurt her…you. I was your dirty secret," I stumbled.

Grabbing a beer bottle, I throw it and watch as it hits a picture. The picture falls, almost hitting the bitch.

No, not bitch! That's BELLA! You have to stop, NOW.

I know I have gone too far, but I can't stop. My heart feels like it is breaking into pieces. I'm hurting the one and only thing that is important thing to me. Bella means more than anything in this world, and I can't stop. I keep seeing Rose's face now. To add to it, I now see my dad's face there, too. Bella's face just falls behind them.

"Please, Edward, calm down. Stop throwing bottles. Look, you're hurt, let me help you."

I see the bitch move toward me.

No, that is Bella.

No, look it's Rose, the devil bitch!

My head hurts so much that I just can't think straight, "Stay the fuck away from me, you fucking whore. You know what my dad said? Hmm, shall I tell you? He said that I brought chaos everywhere I go, but so do you. I was fine till you hung out with me, you have ruined my life, and I want you gone. You hear me? Gone!" I see Rose's smiling face. "Why did you lie? Why do you really hate me that much? What did I ever do to you?" I hear someone crying and I look over to see everything fall back to reality. I no longer see Rose or my father's face. They are all gone, now the only person left with me is a crying, shaking Bella. I watch as she walks away from me and out my front door. I want to go to her, I want to stop her, but I can't move. As the door closes behind her, I feel a sharp pain in my chest. I look around the room seeing the mess, broken glass everywhere, as the pain in my chest gets worse, I hear myself whisper. "Oh fuck! What the fuck did I do?" I slide down the wall crying. "Bella, I'm sorry. I love you." I say to the empty room and I can no longer feel her. I sit here rocking, banging my head against the wall until everything goes black.

**13 November**

I sit upright in my bed wishing that I hadn't, because my head hurts. I look around, as the room spins. I see that it's only 6:30 in the morning, and I'm not sure what day it is. As I come to, I slowly remember the days before. Jake hurting Mr. Banner and Bella. Bella getting suspended, being accused of sleeping with Mr. Banner. The drugs being found in my locker, being arrested. Getting thrown out of my home. Buying the alcohol, and cigarettes. Bella coming to our apartment, I finally smile at that. I look to her side of the bed, finding it empty and cold to the touch.

"Bella, baby, where are you, girl?" I croak out.

Fuck! What the fuck did I drink last night? Oh wow, as for my breath, yuck. I try to get up and stagger a little. I head into the bathroom to wash up and brush my teeth. So, when I find my girl, I can kiss her. I smile at the thought, and wash my hands which hurt. I see my hands have some cuts on them. I try and think how that happened. Then it comes to me in flashes. I remember throwing the bottle. Shouting at Bella, but seeing Rose and my dad, not Bella. I tell her to go, that I don't want or love her. I blame her for everything. I see flash after flash of me screaming at her. I see myself throwing that bottle. I see her scared of me, more so when the picture fell beside her. I see her leaving, she left—she left because of me. I move as fast as I can, picking up my phone. I have five missed calls, ten texts, and one voicemail. They are all from Bella, but they are from before she got here.

I hear a whimper, and I'm surprised to hear the sound is from me. My heart hurts so much. I throw on the first clothes that I get my hands on. I dial Bella's number, and hope and pray that she will pick up. Just as it rings, my phone cuts off. Fuck, shit, I head to my charger, because my cell is dead. I run into the living room, tripping as I go. I stop as I enter, I look around confused. The room is clean; there is no glass lying on the floor, no broken bottles, no mess, it doesn't smell bad either. I know for a fact that I did not clean up before going to bed. I don't even know how I got to bed. I run my hand over my face, trying to figure it all out.

"Ow, shit…ow, ow, ow…jeez."

I hear Bella's voice coming from the kitchen. I run there – I stare open mouthed; there she is, in my kitchen. She's at the sink waving her hand and jumping up and down. I watch her put it under the cold water.

"Bella, baby, are you hurt?" I ask, but she doesn't turn around. "Please, baby, talk to me. If you're hurt, please let me help you, please."

Again, she doesn't turn around.

"Please, don't be a dream," I whisper to myself.

Slowly, I place my hand on her arm; she flinches and jumps to the side. Great, I really did fuck up; she's scared of me and most likely hates me. Bella turns all the way around, and pulls her earbuds out.

"Edward, you scared me. I'm sorry, I didn't hear you, and I was listening to some music. I put in my earbuds; I didn't think you would want to wake up to U2 songs. Here is some water and headache pills for you. I'm guessing you need them," she says, trying to hand them to me.

I look from her eyes to the water, and tablets, as she gives me a weak smile at the same time. I'm unable to take them, I'm not sure I can even swallow. After how I treated her, why is she here? I haven't even been able to find my voice to talk to her.

"Sweetie, are you okay?" Bella places the water and tablets down. She steps forward and places her hand on my face. She tries to hide it, but I see her hand shaking that split second before it makes contact with my skin.

You did that to her, you made her unsure if she can touch you. You're a stupid fool, and if you lose her, you will be getting exactly what you deserve!

Again, I hear a whimper come from inside me. I look her in the eye. "I'm so sorry," I say. "Please, baby, please don't leave me. I didn't mean it – I don't want to lose you. If you get hurt because of me, it would kill me. My head was so messed up yesterday. I couldn't think straight. I kept thinking that if you stayed with me, you would get hurt. Letting you go seemed to be the best thing I could do to keep you safe. I had to pretend that you were Rose, so I could look you in the eye and tell you I didn't love you. All the anger over what she has done and said made it possible for me to say the things I said. Everything that's happened in these last few days came rushing out—I am so sorry. I can't be without you. If you still want me, please give me a second chance. I promise to be a better boyfriend. I will even go back to being just your friend if…if you don't want to be my girl anymore."

I hear my voice going out, and I look at the floor. I'm unable to look at her face; I'm so ashamed of myself. I'm willing to beg her, just to be a part, any part that I can be of her life.

"It's fine, Edward. I know what you did and why you did it. It really is fine, sweetie. I know you didn't mean it."

She wraps her arms around me, and I can't help but return the hug. I pull her closer, talking into her hair at the side of her head.

"I remember you leaving; I made you leave. I woke up, and you weren't there, it took so long for it all to come back to me. When I remembered what I said, what I had done, I thought I had truly lost you."

I close my eyes praying and hoping that I haven't lost her.

"Edward, I told you, you're stuck with me. I knew you were tired, drunk, and angry. I did leave, but I only got to the elevator when I started thinking about what you said. As I thought about it, I realized you weren't really talking to me. The words you used didn't fit and you kept saying I lied. I knew then what you did, and I knew why you did it. So, I came back, I would have come back today anyway. When I got back in here, you were out for the count. It took me ten minutes to drag your big ass to bed. I love you; you were under a lot of stress. It's okay; there is nothing to forgive you for. You are a great boyfriend, but come to me first next time and not a bottle. Anyway, some of the stuff you said last night, you were right about. I should have let you be honest with your family from the start, like I was to mine. Your family kicking you out, that is my fault, all because I asked you to keep me a secret."

Oh, hell no, now she is taking the blame for my family's dysfunctional state. Not happening!

"Bella, baby, it's not you or your fault. You said I could tell them, you just didn't want at school or in town to know. I'm the one that kept them in the dark. I alone kept them in the dark, but the truth is, at the end of the day they took Rose's word over mine. They still wouldn't have believed me, even if I had told them from the beginning. I know they wouldn't have; they always choose to believe the worst from me."

Bella pulls back from me; I'm sad until I see her put her hand under the cold water. Shit, I forgot she hurt her hand.

"Bella, baby, how did you burn your hand?" I ask, walking over to the counter. I get my first aid kit out, and take out some cream and a bandage for her. "I forgot that the tray was hot, I picked it up to clean it. I made some cupcakes, muffins, and cookies."

I shake my head and apply the cream to her hand, then kiss it. Bella and I sit and talk over everything that has happened over the last few days. We talk more about last night; I'm so ashamed. I treated Bella so poorly, yet she takes care of me. Bella got me to bed, stripped me, cleaned up my cuts, and spent hours cleaning up our apartment. To top it all off, she even started cooking to keep her awake so that she could keep an eye on me during the night. It turns out that I slept for a little over twelve hours. I'm so fucking lucky that I didn't lose her with my behavior last night. I repeatedly tell her that I'm sorry, and after about the thousandth time, Bella sits up, undoes some of my shirt buttons, and grabs the dog tag she gave me. She looks me in the eyes, and reads it to me, fitting it into parts of last night.

"God give you the serenity. You cannot change what happened last night, only learn from it and accept it for what it was, a mistake. Courage — you apologized and have promised to go to someone and not to bottle things up. You faced what you did, we've talked about it. You have accepted where you went wrong. We will keep seeing and talking to Peter. Wisdom — you can only learn from past mistakes, use what you learned in the future when going through similar problems. Edward, let go of all this shit that you keep to yourself. All this stuff from the past few years; just let it all go. You need to free yourself from what you've been holding back—the anger, guilt, sadness, loneliness. I'm here, and I've got you, and I am _not_ letting you go."

I give her a nod, and let go of everything I have been holding back. I let it all out. I tell Bella everything, and all I feel is her love and her arms wrapped around me the whole time.

I wake up to find Bella lying next to me; it is five in the evening. We have been asleep for the better part of six hours. I look around to see what woke me up, and then I hear it again. Bella's phone is ringing.

"Bella, baby, your phone," I say.

I pick it up and see that Charlie is calling her.

"Hi Grandpa, give me a minute to get Bella, she's just waking up. We went back to sleep this afternoon for a nap," I say sleepily.

"That's okay; I was just calling to see how you are, son. I will get your family to listen to me, if it's the last thing I do. Will wants us to track down Rose, and show her the boys and my ladies."

I chuckle, mentally picturing her shitting herself, when they all pull out their weapons of choice.

"Grandpa, no matter how much I would love to see that, she isn't worth it."

Bella looks at me strangely, and I mouth to her that I'm talking about Rose.

"Okay, son, you need to pack some stuff up, and bring it here with you. You are staying with me and Bella, no arguments. Cole has been changing the information at the police station, and you need to come back tomorrow, okay?"

"Grandpa, I don't want to intrude."

"Edward, what part of NO ARGUMENT did you not understand? You are staying here, end of story. Now, you tell Bella I love her, and I will see you both tomorrow."

He hangs up quickly, and I begin to chuckle. Bella sits up looking at me.

"He was just checking on us, and telling me that as of now, I stay at your house, no arguments. But, you know I can stay here…"

Bella places her hand on my mouth, stopping me from saying anything else.

"No, you will stay with us," she rasps out. "You belong with me; we belong together."

Her voice is raspy, and cracking and I know she needs to quit talking.

"Baby, your voice, please no more talking. Just rest your voice, please."

She nods at me, with a smile. I bend down and kiss her lightly on her lips. She pulls back a little, and motions for a pen and paper. I get her a notebook and pen. She writes out a note and hands it to me.

"I need to take a shower and change my clothes. I didn't bring anything with me to wear. I have clean underwear here, but can I use one of your shirts to put on? Then I can wash my clothes to wear home tomorrow. I love you very much, and I'd really love to do some make-up kissing with you. I just need to freshen up first and brush my teeth." The note reads.

"Sure, of course, my love, anything you want. You can always use whatever you want of mine, how about I order some Chinese food for us?"

She nods, stands up, gives me a small kiss, and runs off into the bathroom. I use the other bathroom taking a sponge bath out of the sink because I stink. I can smell the smoke, from all the cigarettes. I change my clothes realizing that when I put them on, they are inside out. I chuckle at myself, and go order our dinner.

Bella comes out of the bathroom, wearing one of my shirts. God, she looks really good. I slowly scan my eyes up her body, starting at her feet. My eyes travel up her sexy, long legs; all I can think of is having them wrapped around me. I keep looking up at her fuck hot body. I know that I am getting hard just thinking about kissing my way up those legs. Then the thoughts start pulsing through my mind. I want to lick up her legs and taste her pussy. Kiss across her flat abs, run my nose along the bottom curve of her full breast. Suck in the nipples of her perfect breasts and flick them with the tip of my tongue. I lick my lips as my eyes go to her collarbone and neck. My rock hard cock deflates as soon as my eyes meet the bruises.

That fucking bastard!

The bruising is bad. I can clearly see each finger mark of his hand on her. I never noticed it last night, or earlier today, because of the turtleneck she was wearing. I make my way to her, placing my hand softly on her neck. I kiss her forehead, and slowly move down her face. I kiss her lips and keep moving until I reach her neck. I take my time to lightly place kisses across every mark on her skin.

"I love you," Bella whispers out.

I chuckle, placing my hand over her mouth.

"No talking – use the notepad. And I fucking love you, too, so much."

I pick her up bridal style and take her to the couch.

"I would really like to kiss you until our dinner gets here. That is, if you feel up for it?"

Bella looks at me, like she is deep in thought, trying to make her decision. Then she smiles at me, and looks up and mouths her answer to me, _yes_.

Before her lips can form any other words, I am sucking her bottom lip into my mouth. I run my tongue over the smooth skin of her plump lip and taste the sweet mint of her mouth. She moans deeply, and our kiss turns into a battle of tongues and teeth. I will never ask her to leave me again. She means everything to me, and I am so lucky to still have her. It kills me to know that I almost threw away everything in my drunken, tired, upset rage. I almost made the biggest mistake of my life. We continue to kiss, and I so want to touch more of her, but keep my hands on Bella's side and the back of her neck. I slow down our kisses a little, afraid of carrying things too far. I feel her tongue against my lip, and I let her in again. She pulls me closer to her, and I hear her moaning as I run my hand up her side. I move my mouth to her collarbone and back up to her neck. She moans more, and I continue to assault her neck with my mouth. I move my mouth to the side of her neck, and I kiss her just below her ear, one of the only places that are not bruised by Jake's big fucking hand. I kiss there again, and suck on the soft skin. Bella moans out louder than she has before, and I release her skin, seeing the small mark I leave on her neck. Bella pulls my hair roughly, to move my mouth back to the same spot.

"You make me lose myself. I can't get close enough to you," I pant against her skin.

I pull back and look her in the eyes; I see the exact mirror of what I know my eyes must look like.

"I feel the same; I want you, and only you. You complete me, you make me whole," Bella whispers, her voice still weak.

"Shush…baby, you need to stop talking. I want to hear that sweet voice of yours when you're all better."

Bella looks at me and mouths, "Shut up and kiss me then."

She gives me a smirk, and I grab the back of her neck. "I'd be happy to," I growl and crush her lips with mine.

We kiss until the buzzer on the door alerts us to our food's arrival.

"Do I have to get it?" I groan out, not expecting an answer. Before I can get all the way up, Bella's belly growls out and I chuckle. "I guess that is a _yes_ from you then, huh?"

I get up and let the delivery guy in. I hand him the money, and tell him to keep the change. Bella looks at me and mouths, "What's all of this, how many are we feeding?"

I laugh, kissing her head.

"Just us, baby, just us," I say.

We sit down and eat. I look at her, and I know I hurt her last night. I really need to change how I deal with things. I have been pushed aside every day, no matter how good I was by my father, for the past few years. I have allowed Emmett to ridicule me, and Rose to push me out of my own family. Alice is all worked up and mad at me. As for Jasper…fuck, I always am the one that makes up with him. I'm always there when he needs someone to talk to about his parents, but he's never there for me. I think back to what Emmett has said that Rose and Jasper are taking drugs. Why didn't I notice that; how could it not register? I feel Bella touch my face, and she taps the notepad.

I see, "What is wrong? Please talk to me." written there.

"Emmett asked if I got Rose hooked on drugs, and also told me that Jasper came forward to say that he was taking uppers and LSD. It all came out when they were testing everyone in the school."

Bella began to write, and then turned it to me, so I could read it.

"I was there when Jasper came forward, so did four others. He said he was taking steroids, too. It was Riley, Sam, little Tommy, and John Burns that came forward."

"Fuck… little Tommy? Damn, his mom is going to kill him. That's the last thing she needed, with his dad being out of the picture now."

Bella nods at me.

"Do you want to go out somewhere, or stay here?"

Bella writes on her notepad again, with a smile on her face.

"Can we go for a drive, or maybe a walk in the park? We could pick up a movie, and some Ben and Jerry's ice cream?" I read.

"Sure, get dressed; your clothes are in the dryer. We will get going when you're ready."

I want to do something nice for Bella, so once she gets into the shower, I sneak in and take her dirty clothes. The washer here is easy; she showed me on our last visit how to use it. I push the two buttons and it works. Bella already put them in to dry when we were eating dinner. I'm sure they will be dry enough for her to wear. I need to buy her some clothes for when she stays here.

We are in the rental store, picking out a film, when Bella bolts out of the store. I run after her, she is only a few minutes ahead of me when I catch up with her.

"Jesus, Bella, what the hell was that?" I ask, panting a little from the running, and the fear that courses through my veins seeing her take off.

"ROSE!" Bella mouths, pointing to the corner, across the street.

"I want to talk to her!" Bella mouths to me, at the same time as she is waving her hands at me.

"Fine, let's go," I say.

I want to fucking talk to her, too. I take Bella's hand and lead her the way we see Rose go. As we turn the corner, we can't see her, but I call her cell and hear it ringing from just beside us. I look down the alley, and my breathing about stops.

"You have got to be fucking kidding me—stay here," I scream to Bella.

I run down the alley where Rose is being attacked by four guys. There is only one I know and that is Royce King, Emmett's friend.

"Come on, Rose, the guys want to see your smoking hot body," Royce snarls out.

"Yeah, all we hear from Royce is that his new girl has the best body," one of the guys says.

The same guy starts touching himself, walking closer to Rose. So, Royce, Emmett's friend, is her new man, guess he should have questioned his 'friends' loyalty, not mine.

"No, let me go, please. Don't…don't do this please. Hel—"

Rose is cut off by the force of Royce hitting her.

"You know, this wouldn't happen if you give it up to me. I know you fucked Emmett…"

I step up and hit him square on the jaw.

"She said _no_," I yell at him.

Rose looks up at me stunned. I can see blood running down her face. Her top is ripped open, so I quickly stand in front of her. I take off my jacket, dropping it down to her, just as it falls into her hands, they are all on me. I fight them with everything I have. One takes off scared, leaving three still fighting. I see a metal pole on the ground; I pick it up to use it for my defense. I manage to knock one out, leaving Royce and the guy who was touching himself. Royce tackles me, and we fall to the ground. I manage to turn us, so that I'm on top of him.

"Edward," Rose screams out, just then Mr. Touch Himself falls to the floor. I see another metal pipe as it falls to the cement beside him. Standing there with tears in her eyes is Bella, jumping up and down shaking her hand that she had burned earlier. Rose is looking at her, with her mouth hanging open.

"Fuck, Bella, I told you to stay over there," I say pointing at the front of the alley.

I hit Royce one more time, as hard as I can. I am pissed, because my girl is hurt again. I hit him again and this time I knock him out. Mr. Touch Himself staggers to his feet and takes off, running away.

I jump up, look at Bella's hand, damn it, it feels like it's broken.

Bella mouths, "I'm fine," to me and points at Rose.

I am brought back to why I'm here.

"Rose, I need to take a look at the wound on your face. Can I touch you?" I ask, as I crouch down next to her.

She slowly nods a little, while biting her lip to keep in her whimpers. Shit, they cut her, from her hair line to the side of her left eye. The cut appears to be deep, and is going to need stitches.

"Rose, I'm sorry, but the cut is deep. I have a first aid kit in my car, but I need to take you to hospital. Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"I…I am just a little sore here and there."

I just catch what she's saying as Bella bends down wrapping my jacket around Rose.

"Can you walk?" I ask Rose.

Rose nods, and Bella and I help her stand. We hear a moan, and see that Royce is coming to. Rose kicks him hard in the balls, and he curls up on himself.

I'm sure he's now wishing that he didn't wake up. As we walk down the alley toward my car, Rose staggers as Bella is texting someone on her phone. I raise my eyebrow, questioningly. Bella mouths the word, "police" then points to Rose, mouthing "hospital," I nod. Rose staggers again, and Bella taps my hand mouthing, "carry" and nods to Rose. I let out a breath and sigh.

"Rose, do you mind if I pick you up? You're in shock and losing a lot of blood."

She nods again, and lets out a small cry as I pick her up bridal style. I carry her to the car and place her in the backseat. I hand Bella my keys after opening the trunk. I grab the first aid box, and go to attend to Rose. Bella drives us to the hospital, as I try my best to slow the bleeding from the gash on Rose's face.

I'm fine, just more bruising on top of my other bruising. Bella broke her knuckle and her hand is bandaged up. Rose gets a bunch of tiny stitches across the gash. The doctor explains that the more closely spaced the stitches are, the less pronounced the scar will be. Rose will have permanent scarring though. She has a few bruises and a bite mark on her shoulder, from where Royce bit her. The police take our statements and leave. Rose is being kept overnight, but we check on her before we leave.

When I enter the room, Rose is laying on the bed facing the opposite wall, looking out the window.

"Hey Rose, Bella and I are going to take off now, do you need anything before we go?" I ask, while standing at the door of her room.

Rose turns around, and just gives a small head shake.

"Do you want me to call Jasper or someone for you? I can let them know you are here?"

She shakes her head again, and waves her hand, motioning that she wants me to leave.

"Well, okay I'm going to go."

I collect Bella and we head for home.

* * *

**A/N: Well now what are your thoughts? Edwards moving into the Swan home. Lot's of the kids were on drugs. Edward lost it, but all in all he's been stronger than most his age would be. Bella is one of the strongest people though, isn't she? They found Rose, and saved her. There has to be a story there, anyone want the next chapter, so we can learn more?  
**


	18. Chapter 18

**Third and final post for today, but don't fret we will post more tomorrow.**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Rose**

**14 November**

I wake up slowly thinking about what happened last night. I feel guilty that I didn't call anyone for Rose. I hope that she's okay. I turn to look at Bella's side of the bed, but again I find it empty. I hate waking up to finding her gone. Then the panic starts to set in – I run out of the bedroom, and into the kitchen. There stands the love of my life, cooking away. I walk up to her, wrap my arms around her, and kiss her neck.

"Baby, I don't like waking up without you."

I put on my sad puppy dog face, turn her around, and hug her to me.

"I know, sweetie, I just couldn't sleep," she says turning to stir the food. "I didn't want to wake you, you were sleeping so peacefully." She turns back around, hugging into me. "So, I thought that I would bake." She waves her hand to the counter where there are a lot of muffins. "I was wondering if you would do me a favor?" Bella says, stepping away from me and looking down.

I see she's biting her bottom lip, so I know she's nervous.

"Yeah, sure baby, what is it?" I ask, while trying to sneak one of her strawberry muffins, just to have her slap my hand way.

"Could you lend me some money until we get back to Forks? I also need you to take me to the mall. I would like to get some new clothes for Rose. She doesn't have anything to get home in. The police took the clothes she had on yesterday."

Bella is still looking down at the floor, but I can see enough of her face to know she feels guilty.

"I know she caused a lot shit for you, well, for us. I know she hurt Emmett badly, but I don't think she has anyone to go to for help."

Bella is looking even guiltier for asking me this. I can see that she is really worried about my reaction.

"Baby, that's fine, truthfully. I was thinking about that anyway. Rose may be a bitch, and she may have done a lot of bad shit, but no one deserves to be treated the way she was last night. Let's eat the breakfast you made, get dressed, and we can go, okay?"

I kiss her – turn us around swiftly – grab a muffin, and run out with it.

"Hey, no fair kissing me like that just to get a muffin," Bella calls after me. "I feel used, and it wasn't that great of a kiss either."

As soon as I hear her say those words, I run back to the kitchen. I pick her up, place her on the counter, centering myself between her legs, and kiss her hard, until she moans. I tilt her head to get better access to her mouth, licking her lip for permission. She willingly opens her mouth and our tongues battle for dominance; she finally gives me all the power. As I pull away, I take her bottom lip between my teeth, and give it a pull. I look her in the eye, and I see desire.

"Better?"

Bella is breathing hard, just like me. She nods and smiles.

"Much," she whispers to me.

I lean in and I kiss her once more, causing her to moan out again.

"You can take another muffin for that kiss," she says.

I chuckle as I place her back on the floor before I go to get changed.

We get to the mall as it opens, and we buy Rose simple white underwear, a top and jeans, and a pair of flat sandals. Bella also picks up a hair brush and some toiletries. I have Bella pick out some clothes for herself and then change in the bathroom at the mall. We stop and pick up breakfast for Rose, and then we get some candy for all three of us. Bella has brought some of her muffins, too.

We walk to Rose's room and tap on the door before going in. Rose is in the same place she was when we left last night. She's still facing away from the door, looking out the window.

"Hi, Rose, we brought you some clothes and toiletries. I always hated hospital food, so we also brought you breakfast."

Rose turns and looks between Bella and I with her mouth open.

"I hope we got the right sizes for you; I'll put the bag of clothes on the bed." I set her breakfast on the tray table. "I got you an omelet; I remember Mom always made them for you. I had them put extra mushrooms in it – I remember you like them."

I wheel the table to her. Bella puts her orange juice and a few of the different kinds of muffins on the table.

"What ... I don't get ... understand ... why ... both of you ... come ... why ... after ... you ... you ... why ... umm ... please ... alone ... why?" Rose bursts into tears.

I can't make out everything she said.

"Sh ... Rose, of course we came back, why wouldn't we? You had a bad night last night – you need clothes. Edward thought that you would like something to eat, too. We'll stay and visit for a bit if you like?" Bella asks, as she sits next to Rose on the chair beside the bed.

Rose smiles and gives a small nod of, and starts to eat her breakfast.

We stay with Rose for much longer than I thought we would. Rose washes herself up and puts on the change of clothes we brought. The doctor comes in and we step out. While the doctor is in with her, she refuses for them to call her parents about what happened. Royce and his friends are all in jail waiting to get bailed out. They all live in the campus housing, and are only one floor above Rose. Rose is worried about going back there. For whatever reason she has, she keeps saying that she can't go home. Rose comes out the room saying that she's fine to go.

"Rose, I own three apartment buildings, and I have a total of five empty apartments right now. Two of them are fully furnished; you can stay in one, if you like. One of them is a thirty minute drive to your college; the other is only a twenty minute walk. It's up to you which one you want, and don't worry about rent, it's fine."

I don't tell her about the one in my apartment building that's available and closer to her school, but I really don't want her that close to me. Rose starts crying again and whispering that she would like to stay in the one twenty minutes from campus. I nod and call Mr. Jeeves to set it up. I tell him that I will be there in few hours with Rose and Bella.

We take Rose to get groceries, and to get her belongings from her dorm room. Before heading to the apartment, I make sure Mr. Jeeves has it ready. The apartment is a simple living room, small kitchen, one bedroom, and a small bath. It's nothing grand, but Rose is quite happy with it. I show her around, as Bella unpacks the food, putting it away.

I go down to talk to the security guard, and I explain what happened last night. I make sure they are on the lookout for anyone strange. The police agree to fax over copies of the mug shots, so all the security team knows what they look like. When I get back to the apartment, I hear Bella talking with Rose.

"I don't get why he's doing all of this. I understand him stopping Royce; he would never walk away from something like that. But this, after everything I have done to him, he still's helping me. I know he doesn't like me – he never liked me," Rose says in a small voice.

"You're not Edward's favorite person, Rose, but he doesn't dislike you. He only dislikes your behavior, and well, the lies, they didn't help either."

I hear Bella sigh, knowing that she's trying to be diplomatic.

"I think, more than anything though, it was the fact that you hit on him when you were dating Emmett. Now that you've told his whole family that you're dating him, they have shunned him. But, he also knows we all have our demons, and we all make mistakes. All we can do is hope that we all learn from our bad choices and change for the better."

Bella's voice is still raspy, so I walk in and clear my throat. Bella looks at me and smiles, God I love her. Rose looks right in my eyes and swallows nervously.

"Rose," I say. "I want to know what the fuck is going on with you. I know there's more to this than what you're saying. Please stop the bullshit and tell us, so we can help you fix it."

I use the same tone of voice I used to use to get girls to talk to me. I don't break eye contact, and I know that it's cracking her. Rose sighs, fidgeting while sitting on the chair. She runs her hand though her hair, and closes her eyes. She nods almost to herself. She opens her eyes, first looking at me, then at Bella.

"I went to Chicago for two weeks in the middle of August. I was in a mechanical course. My dad knew, but mom thought I was there doing a modeling show. Modeling – what a joke. I know now, that shit isn't for me. I met Royce there the first day. Royce's father is my dad's boss at the Port Angeles bank. I never spent much time with him, but saw him at charity functions for the bank. We got to talking and when I told him that I was going to college at Seattle Central Community College, he said that's where he was going, too. I spent the next two weeks with him, just as friends. When I got back, he asked me out. I said _no_. I told him that I was going out with Emmett. I didn't even know they were friends, until the next day when I went to meet Emmett, and he was there. Royce began hanging out with us more and more. My dad said that I should give Royce a chance; he kept at me, saying that if I did date Royce, I could take a part-time mechanical course."

I give her a look a disbelief; it's like her father blackmailed her into dating the creep.

"Emmett and I weren't getting along very well at that point. All he wanted was to hang out with the guys and party. He kept eyeing other girls, saying how much he loves the ladies. I was pissed at him; this was only the second week of college. Emmett bragged about getting ten different girls' phone numbers one night, to all the guys in front of me. Royce was there, and he kept looking at me, like he felt sorry for me. I was starting to want to give Royce a chance at this point, and didn't want to string Emmett along, so I dumped him."

Rose takes a deep breath and a small sip from her glass of water.

"I told Royce I would date him, but we had to take things slow. I wanted to see how things went. At first, it was really good. Royce and I were similar in so many ways, but Emmett kept calling. One day, he called every five minutes asking who I was dating. The first day we split up, I got over a hundred calls from him, and double that in text messages."

"Wow," Bella says, with a look of shock.

"Yeah, he just kept calling and texting. Then he said he knew it was you, Edward," she says looking at me. "At first I told him I wasn't, but he just kept calling. The calls came in all hours of the day and night; I just wanted the calls to stop. So, yeah, I made him believe that I was seeing you, without actually saying it."

Rose truly looks remorseful; I hope this is not a game.

"But, it made things worse. Alice and Jasper started calling, going on about asking me why I was with you. Then, Dr. Cullen started calling – he demanded that I tell him. He found out that I went to Chicago; he said that he knew I was with Edward. He said he knew that it wasn't my fault, that Edward had sucked me in. I tried telling them that it was someone else, but they kept saying it had to be Edward."

I flinch at the talk of my father, and the clear hate he has for me.

"That was what started the first fight between Royce and me. He told me to tell them it was Edward, because he wanted to keep Emmett as a friend. A part of me was still upset that you never took notice of me, and the other was you had the life I wanted. I know you are going to do what you want in life, not what your parents want."

Rose looks down again, ashamed. She takes a drink of water and starts talking again.

"So, I did it for him. It worked, because they all stopped calling. Jasper told me about Edward getting beat up by Emmett, and that he wasn't talking to him. I went to see Royce, to try to work out what I could do. He wasn't there, but I had been in the King's house a few times at this point. So, when I got there, I let myself in. Royce had shown me where the spare key was. As I waited, I felt like I needed some liquid encouragement, so I went into the office, where Mr. King has a small drink station. As I pour myself a drink, I see there's a paper on the table. I take a look at it, and there were people's account information on it. As I look through it, and I will admit that I was being nosy, but the first paper was about the Denali's. As I am going through them, I notice something strange. It takes a few more papers before I realize what I was looking at was accounts that Mr. King is defrauding at the bank."

Rose takes another drink and clears her throat.

"Then, I hear the door, I rush putting everything back where it was. I didn't say anything to them; it was on the night of the opera. I saw you both there, you both looked so happy and I got really jealous. More so, because you walked right by me, and you didn't even see me. On the Monday after, I saw Emmett for the first time. I was so shocked; he had lost so much weight. I heard him telling Royce about you and me, and that no one was talking to you. He said that Dr. Cullen was looking for a reason to throw you out, and he couldn't wait to get you out of his life for good. I felt so bad, because I know when he finds out the truth, it's going to kill him. I know he will never forgive himself for how he's treated you."

Rose leans forward and grabs a tissue from Bella's outstretched hand.

"I waited until Emmett left before I came out. I tell Royce that I was done with hiding our relationship. I told him that I was going to tell the truth. He said that they wouldn't believe me. I told him I had pictures of us together, and I would show it to Emmett. Royce got angry, but then he started laughing saying that if I did, Jasper would get hurt. Royce said he knew Jasper owed $2500 to some guy he was buying drugs from. Since I was Royce's girlfriend, and Jasper was important to me, he was keeping them from breaking Jasper's legs."

Fuck! I can't believe he owes that much; what the hell is he thinking? Rose looks just as pissed about it as I am.

"I told Royce that I knew that his father was defrauding people through the bank. I warned him that if his friend touches Jasper, or he gives me anymore shit, then I would turn his father in. But Royce just laughed, saying I was a good for nothing nosy bitch, and he said that my dad was a part of all the skimming of accounts, too. Royce said that if I said anything then my family would lose everything. I was scared; I didn't know who I could talk to. I tried to talk to Jasper, but he said he had it under control.

"Last night was the first time I had seen Royce in over two weeks. After you left last night, my dad called telling me that Mr. King called saying that Royce was in jail. My dad even gave me a warning from Mr. King, that I had to keep quiet or else. I told my dad what Royce did, and was going to do to me. My dad told me to withdraw my statement, or Mr. King would hurt him. My dad wasn't even worried about what Royce did to me; he kept saying it was entirely all my fault. He said it would be okay though, because Royce still wants to marry me. My dad went on to tell me that he gave his blessing, and the wedding was already being planned."

What an asshole, I can't believe Mr. Hale is okay with Rose being hurt. Royce and his friends just tried to gang rape his daughter and he expects her to marry the guy?

"That's why I can't go home. I'm going to tell the police everything I know. Mr. King works for the same guy who is supplying the drugs around Forks."

At this point, Rose stops talking and starts crying. This has got something to do with Aro, I can feel it.

"Rose, it's okay, I understand. It will be fine, okay?"

I give Bella a concerned look as she moves, trying to comfort Rose.

"It's not okay, though. You're out of your home; Mom called asking if I would take a drug test. I was looking for Royce, I just wanted to try and fix things. I was going to give him the money Jasper owed, and hope to find who was doing the selling. My intent was, if I found out who it was, I could fix things for you. It's all my fault, I should have told them the truth weeks ago. Jasper promised me he stopped using, and now you don't have a home. I'm sorry, so sorry."

She repeats that she is sorry over and over again, while the tears stream down her face.

"Rose, it is okay. I'm pissed at what you said, but I do understand why you said it. I wish you could tell them that it was not me, and that it was Royce, but it doesn't matter now. You said you're sorry, and I forgive you. There's so much more going on here than you know. I think this has a lot to do with what is going on in Forks. Rose, please let us help. Bella and I have friends in the FBI, and they are looking into all of this. Please talk to them; tell them all you know. They can help you, even the stuff with the banking – they need that information. They can help all of us, and you will be safe living here. I will make sure of it; I have already put the security in the building here on alert to watch out for strangers. I know talking to the FBI will be a good thing, and they may be able to help keep your family safe, too. I don't want to see you lose everything."

She nods, and I can still see the tears on her face.

"Yeah, I need to talk to them; my dad has changed so much over the last year. I mean, he has always liked to have some power, but he has become greedy for it. It doesn't make any difference to me if our family loses everything, in a way it's what I deserve. I owe penance for everything I did to both of you. You call them, have them come here, I will talk and tell them all I know."

Jack comes over right away, and Rose tells him everything. She tells him all she has seen and heard. Jack assures us that he will try to keep her dad out of prison. But when it goes down, there will be only so much he can do, and it will depend on how much of this he's involved in and what he confesses to. Jack also installs an alarm in the apartment, and gives Rose a personal alarm. The alarm looks a bit like Bella's, and he gives her a new phone, she has all our numbers in it. As I see Jack out, I watch stunned as Rose grabs Bella into a hug, thanking her. She tells Bella again how sorry she is. I can see that Bella is stiff and shaky under Rose's touch. Rose lets her go, shakes my hand, giving me a half smile. As I go to leave, she pulls me back a little.

"She's good for you, you know? Even with all this going on, you have a sparkle in your eyes that I never saw in them before. Whatever you do, don't fuck it up like I did with Emmett."

I give her a nod and walk out meeting Bella, who's standing at the top of the stairs.

Bella and I drive back to Forks, both with a lot on our minds. I have to go and get more of my things tonight. Bella said that she would help, but I don't really want her around my parents with things being so hostile. I love her, and I don't want her hurt by them; this is going to be one of the hardest things that I have done.

Charlie has three rules for me staying with him and Bella. One, is honesty, I must tell him the truth and let him know when I have done something. Two, I have to be responsible. If I do wrong, I need to take my punishment and follow it though. Third, there is to be no smoking in the house. Charlie smokes, too, but always smokes outside the house only.

I go and collect my things from my parents' house. I find my things packed in boxes inside the garage waiting for me. It takes three trips to get my things moved to Bella and Charlie's. Charlie says that I can use the spare room for my things, or when I need my own space. On my third and final trip, I borrow Charlie's truck so I can put my bike on the back of it. I only have a few things that belong to me that are left at the house. The Masen family jewelry which my mom used to wear and my piano which was my mom's from when she was a little girl. When I'm done loading everything, I knock on the door. I can hear the laughing and fooling around, but no one comes to the door. I try one more time, and wait for five minutes, but I leave without saying goodbye to any of them. It hurts bad that they didn't talk to me or even help. I'm not as mad at Rose anymore; they – in a way – didn't listen to her either. Rose has her own family shit to deal with. A part of me no longer wants them to find out the truth; I know Mom will take it hard. I don't think Dad will care anyway. Emmett will be beside himself, and he will not forgive himself for hitting me. Emmett will most likely want to kill Royce for what he has done, and tried to do to Rose. Alice, she will be far more upset than what she has been, so maybe it's better this way. But, I know it will all come out at some point.

**15 November **

After a restless night of not sleeping well, Bella and I get up later than normal. We ask Charlie if we can go to the meadow, since we're suspended from school. Bella packs us a small picnic to take with us – just some sandwiches, cans of soda, and cookies. I ask her if she wants to go on my bike, because I have two helmets for it. Taking the bike means I can get us closer to the meadow. Bella agrees and packs our picnic in a backpack.

I help Bella get her helmet on and settled on the bike, and then put mine on. I tell her to hold on and get her as close to me as I can. This is the first time anyone has been on my bike with me. Jasper has asked to take her out for a ride, then didn't talk to me for a while when I said _no_. Alice wanted me to take her out on it, but I never did. I really want Bella on my bike, she belongs with me. She put the backpack on and her arms around me. I can feel her against my back. I'm so grateful that she said that she would carry the bag on her back.

Bella pulls down the zipper of my jacket and places her hand inside on my chest and places a kiss on my neck. I close my eyes trying to calm myself and ask her if she's ready. She nods, and I push down her visor and mine, and take off. I can feel her whole sexy body curving to mold against mine. I have to focus to try and keep the image of what it would be like to have her molding her body to mine without the barrier of clothing. I want her body against mine, and I crave being inside of her. But, until she's ready for that, I will wait. Every now and again she reaches up and touches my neck, or rubs her hand up and down my chest. By the time we arrive at the meadow, I'm very hard. I pull my bike up, parking in behind some bushes and trees. I help Bella off, and place our helmets on the helmet hooks. I take the backpack from her, dropping it, as I pull her close to me.

Once her body is molded to mine, my tongue is in her mouth and my hands are on her ass squeezing it. I walk backwards with her, never breaking the contact of our mouths. She runs her hands up and down my body. Resting her right hand in my hair, she stands on her tip toes. I pick her up, pushing her against a tree. She wraps her jean clad legs around me, which creates the perfect place at her pelvis to fit my hard cock.

The feeling of her warmth through both layers of our jeans causes me to lose my control. My hands make fast work of removing her jacket. Dropping it to the ground beside our feet; I slowly start to unbutton her shirt. I place my hand on her fucking perfect, lace-covered breast. I move my hungry mouth to her neck and I hear the small moans from her mouth, as I continue to ravish her silky skin.

With my left hand, I pull the lace down and uncover her right breast. I move my mouth down and suck her nipple into my mouth, flicking the hard bud with the tip of my tongue. Moving my right hand to her left breast, I start pinching her nipple. Bella's hands trail down my neck, to the front of my shirt. I feel her fingers as they make purchase in pulling up my shirt. I hear her let out a moan, as I continue to lick and suck on her breasts. With the lace removed from both her breasts, I continue to alternate between the two. My right hand travels down her body to her thigh. Rubbing circles across the denim, I can feel her body react as I hear another moan rip out of her chest. Moving my hand lower, I feel the heat of her center against my fingers, as I stroke along the seam of her jeans. Suddenly, Bella stiffens and I hear her breath catch. The quick revelation of what I am doing stops me in my tracks.

"Oh, fuck, I am so sorry, Bella. I need to stop before I completely lose it, I love you."

I place her back on her feet, as I help her fix her bra and re-button her shirt. I give her a chaste kiss, as I button each one. I can see that her lips are red and swollen, she looks flushed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for all that to happen. I don't want to push you," I tell her again.

I feel so ashamed of what I just did.

"Edward, it was fine, I was really enjoying it. Maybe we can do that again, but keep it at that level, which I was comfortable with. I was really enjoying the feel of you touching me here," she says, pointing to her breasts.

"Bella, baby, please. I don't want to push you, don't do this to make me happy. I will wait for you, forever if I have to."

I take her hand, looking her right in the eyes.

"Edward, I would have told you to stop if I was uncomfortable, believe me, I wasn't ... okay I was a little at the end, when your hand went down there," she nods downward. "But, you need to know it was not all bad. I really enjoyed you kissing me, my mouth, neck, chest, and especially when your tongue was circling my nipples. I want more of those things – I really do – please don't make me beg, that isn't nice."

Bella pouts and puts her hands on her hips. I laugh shaking my head.

"I love you, baby, don't ever change. I would and will, enjoy kissing you all over your entire body as much as you will let me. Whatever you want my sweet girl, I love you. I want you so much, do not ever doubt that. My mouth would be permanently attached to your mouth and body, if I wasn't so scared of the ladies."

Bella chuckles and hits my arm, taking my hand she pulls me closer.

"I love you, you big dope, but we better head now for our meadow."

We walk along holding hands. I pick her up, and carry her as we pass a fallen log. I don't want her to get hurt, so around any dangerous things I make sure she's safe. It takes us a little under an hour to get there. Bella smiles as soon as we arrive.

"Yes, this is the place. Come on, my love, help me find our tree," Bella says.

Bella runs off into the meadow looking around for the tree. I run up after her.

"What are we looking for?" I ask her.

"You will know when we find it," she says cryptically.

We look around some more, checking out all the trees. I'm still unsure what we are looking for exactly. I'm just about to ask her again, when I stop at the fourth tree on the east side of the meadow. I see the words 'Isabella Marie, 9/13/1998' carved into the tree. I see more writing under her name. 'Happy 5th birthday, I love you my little angel. Love, Daddy', then beneath that is, 'Phillip Dwyer'.

"Bella, over here," I call out to her. She runs over to me, placing her hand on the words and smiles.

"He did this the first day we came here. Renee was upset because he wouldn't let her come. He made her send me to Seattle with Charlie so he could have the week with me by himself without her around. She was so angry when I got home."

Bella moves some of the grass from the bottom of the tree. There are two stick figures with happy faces.

"He brought me here three times a year until he died. Thank you for bringing me back here."

Bella hugs me, holding her body tight against mine.

"Anytime, my love," I whisper into her hair.

We move to the center of the meadow and sit down facing each other. We listen to my iPod for a while, then I listen to Bella as she reads Wuthering Heights to me. We eat lunch, and spend some time making out, and exploring each other above our clothing.

"Bella, would you like to make our own carving on a tree?" I ask her, with a smile on my face.

She nods, gripping my hand she pulls me to the same tree.

"Are you sure you want to use the same tree, baby?" I ask her.

"Yes, I'm sure," she says.

Standing in front of the tree, I pull out my pen knife. About a foot above where Phil carved, I set to work. I carve out 'Edward Anthony Cullen and Isabella Marie Swan 11/14/2010'.

Bella takes the pen knife and carves a heart with interlinking rings in the middle. When she's finished, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me deeply. We pack up our stuff and walk back – hand in hand – to the bike. We hop back on my bike and start our ride home.

We both go to therapy later in the day. I tell Peter what's going on now and ask to keep seeing him once a week. I know I need this now; there's just too much going on for me to start seeing him every other week. Peter is happy with my choice and I set up my appointments. I also change the billing to be removed from my father's insurance. I have had Mr. Jeeves set up my health insurance through my own company several months ago, so I change the information. I don't want Carlisle being charged for my therapy anymore, not even his insurance.

Getting home, Bella makes dinner, and I decide since it's not raining and quite nice out still, I will go work in the back garden for them. I catch Bella looking; well, she's actually eye fucking me, through the kitchen window. I can feel the desire coursing through my veins just from the look in her eyes. I give her a wink and she blushes a bit, biting her bottom lip. Charlie sits outside with me, while I'm working in the garden. I see a few things that also need attention, so I fix them as well. The three of us sit to eat dinner, talking about nothing much. I grin to myself, realizing that today has been a really good day. I feel so much better than I have felt in a long time. Having dinner with Charlie and Bella is so relaxing and happy; it's nothing like at home. Charlie and Bella have an open relationship, and it works well. I'm happy that she's able to tell him anything, and is never afraid of being judged. If Bella does something wrong, they work together to decide what her punishment is. I laugh when Charlie tells me about the time when she drank alcohol. She was not allowed to cook dinner or read books for a week. Some parents may think that that's not a real punishment, but for Bella it's a long, terrible week. I think I will like living here very much.

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**A/N: So first off thanks for all the wonderful reviews today and all along. Nikky and I both enjoy reading them, so thank you. Now what did you think of Rose's story? Are you at all shocked by Bella wanting to help her? Edward is cutting ties with the Cullen's, how long do you think it will take for someone to try to contact him? And who do you think will try to get in his good graces first? More chapters to come tomorrow, thanks for reading and reviewing.  
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	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews you've been leaving, we've read them all and adore that you seem to love this so much.**

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**Chapter 19: The Home Game **

**26 November**

Thanksgiving was yesterday. Bella made a lovely meal for Grandpa, Martin, Cole, me and her. I offered to help, but she made me watch the game on TV with the guys instead. I still can't get over the happiness I feel having Bella as my girlfriend and Charlie – well … he is my grandpa. I took some time out and tried calling my mom to tell her and my family to have a happy Thanksgiving. No one answered, and she didn't even call me back. The outright hatred I feel from all of them makes me feel sad and abandoned.

Bella could see how this was eating away at me, and tried hard to give me a good day. I told her that I missed them, but this had been the best Thanksgiving I've had in a long time. I spent some time with Martin and Cole; they are fast becoming good friends of mine. I told them about my past, and the things that I have done in turn. They told me about things they did as teenagers, and after listening to Cole, I don't feel as bad as I have in the past. He made me sound like an angel. I can't believe the shit he pulled off. I'm even more surprised that he's a lawyer now. All he said when I mentioned that, was he wasn't always one.

We got word back last weekend that Mr. Banner is out of his coma and is due to start physical therapy. He was dumbfounded and shocked to hear about Jake's claim. Mr. Banner has adamantly denied any improper contact with any student. The day I got arrested, Mrs. Cope came forward to say that she and Mr. Banner were dating. Cole set them both up with a lawyer from his firm. After the first meeting, Bella said that she could prove that the claim was untrue, as she was still a virgin. Since she came forward and said that her hymen is still intact, other guys have come forward to call her a liar. The school board refused to take Bella's word for it, because of the conflicting reports. Bella rebutted and said that she was willing to have an examination to show doctor-documented proof. Grandpa and Martin were not happy that the school board pushed things this far, and Cole was heavily documenting everything. When things are said and done, there will be a massive amount of lawsuits, and Bella will have the most against the school. Since the school demanded proof, Bella went to an OB/GYN specialist in Seattle. The school board agreed that the OB/GYN specialist was a highly accredited doctor in her field. Bella went to the appointment, and I went with her. When the examination was completed, she had documented proof that she was in fact a virgin, who indeed did have her hymen 100 percent intact. The school board then changed their stance. They now claim that she provided oral sex to Mr. Banner and where he may not have penetrated her vaginally, he was still having a sexual relationship with her. The school board was also quick to note that even if they could not prove the sexual relationship, they still had the grounds of a relationship and that was inappropriate. The school board did decide that they were willing to allow Bella to return to school on the following Tuesday. There's another meeting planned for the seventh of December, when things will be discussed in more detail.

I'm not allowed to return to school yet, so I'm worried about her facing the assholes at school alone. The whole town has been talking about Bella, and Mr. Banner, not to mention me, and the drugs. Due to the big mouth of Mrs. Mallory, Lauren's mom, everyone also knows that Bella's a virgin. Not that her being a virgin bothers me, but the school board shouldn't be leaking confidential medical information about a student to the general public. I know that Tanya will make it seem like it's a bad thing, just to have another reason to pick on Bella.

I have no choice this morning; I need to go for a run, to clear my head. I give Bella a kiss, and tell her I will see her soon. I've been running for a while, and I'm surprised to see that I'm at the school. As I run, I see the football stadium; there's a game tonight. It was only me and Ben out of the varsity football team that came back clean and clear of all drugs, and steroids. The rest of the varsity team is suspended from playing, so all the other varsity players can't play. Thankfully, I had set up a secondary junior varsity team, they have been playing. Ben has taken over as team captain; they're not the best of teams, because they are new to this. The team is not doing too poorly; I'm glad they have a decent leader like Ben. I'm really pleased with Seth; he seems to be a real natural at football. I think it helps that his mind is free to play without worry, since his mom has been cancer free for almost two months.

I stand at the far side and watch them. I can see Alice, and the other cheerleaders doing their routines. I see my family there supporting Alice – they seem happy. Even Emmett has a smile on his face; he's sitting next to some girl I don't know.

As I scan the bleachers, I see Jasper, and Mr. and Mrs. Hale, and another couple. Rose is not with them; she has not spoken to them apart from telling them she was fine and needed time on her own. I know that she has not told them where she's staying, and I'm glad.

Rose has been having a hard time since the attack. She took a temporary leave of absence from college, and has set back her studies until the next semester. If things are okay she will return – if not, then she's even talked about transferring. Royce and his friends made bail, and he's been trying to find out where she is. Rose stays at the apartment for the most part. She's doing her shopping online. Since she's in Seattle, Martin and Mr. Jeeves take her things she can't get online. Martin has kept track of searches of her credit cards, and no big surprise that her dad cut off the cards once the searches turned up that she had not used them. Her cards are now reported as stolen property, and I'm sure that the Hales are itching for her to try to use them to alert them of her whereabouts. Martin agrees, he thinks this is a ploy to get Rose to come back, so they can control her.

I gave her a card to use, so it's undetected. I have been paying for the card she's using, as a company card. Mr. Jeeves set up a dummy account for a non-existent worker. The apartment, card, and everything are under the ruse of Lillian Brandon, a temporary transfer from the Chicago office. I was pleasantly surprised when I got the card statement, she has not spent much. It appears she's only buying what she absolutely has to have, but then it has only been two weeks.

Rose doesn't leave the apartment often. Bella came with me last weekend and she went to Rose's while I went to the office. I still find it strange that Bella can help anyone no matter what. She has a really forgiving heart. Bella is slowly teaching me about forgiveness, both for myself and others.

Bella's also the main reason I pay for the card Rose is using. I will admit that Rose and I are getting along much better now. Rose no longer hits on me, and she has been treating me like a friend. I just wish she had been like this a year ago. I can see how the pressure that Rose put up with, because of her family, helped fuel her anger issues. Her dad doing the things he had done, and her mom wanting her to be something she wasn't; those are both difficult hurdles to overcome for anyone. She handled it by being a bitch to anyone and everyone.

Rose said that it was her dad that wanted her to date me, and she was only trying to make him happy. Rose told us about her dad telling her on a daily basis that there must be something wrong with her, or she was not pretty enough to get me.

I walk over to Mom, Emmett, Alice and Dad.

"Hey Tink, you did well tonight," I say with an upbeat tone.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Alice asks, as she looks right through me. "I'm sorry you must have mistaken me for someone else."

At that she walks away. So does Emmett, he walks over and sits with Jasper giving him a mock punch on the shoulder.

"Mom, Dad, how are you? Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?" I ask, unable to hide the pain in my voice.

"Sorry, Mr. Masen, but we are not your mom and dad," my dad's voice cuts right through me.

"Dad, please—"

He cut me off. "Do not ever call me that again! I am not your dad; do I make myself clear, Mr. Masen?"

I take a quick look at my mom who's clearly hurting. I can see it in her eyes, but she does not look at me.

"Yeah, that is clear, Dr. Cullen. How about you, Mom? Can I still call you that, or is it Mrs. Cullen now?" I ask unable to stop the bitterness from coming through my voice.

"It's Mrs. Cullen, now," Mom says in a whisper looking at the ground.

I give them a nod, and I start to walk back to exit to head home, but I stop when I see Jack, Martin, and a large FBI team come running onto the field.

"This is the FBI," I hear Jack say through the large bullhorn. "I need everyone to stay where you are."

I watch as Jack walks over to the center of the field. Then I hear the words that make me smile, with Martin right beside me.

"Aro Volturi, you are under arrest for drug trafficking, manufacturing of illegal substances, human trafficking, slavery, extortion, blackmail, interference in a crime inquiry, interference with official acts, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, child endangerment, and there are several pending charges," I hear Jack say.

Martin adds in, under his breath, but loud enough I can hear him.

"And whatever else we can throw at you."

"You have the right to remain silent," Jack says.

Martin adds, "So shut the fuck up!"

"Anything you say, can and will be used against you. You have the right to an attorney, if you cannot afford one, the court will appoint an attorney for you," Jack says.

Martin adds in again, "We'll find you the dumbest fucking one we can and he will be all yours."

Biting back my laughter, I hear Jack finish.

"Do you understand the rights as I have read them to you?"

Aro looks over to where I'm standing beside Martin, and I hear him growl as he's lead down the path beside me. I watch as they go on and arrest, Felix, Demetri, and I'm stunned as I see them arrest Mr. Hale and the gentleman next to him, who turns out to be Mr. King. James is also arrested, along with a few of the people from the away team. In the end they made ten arrests. Jack, and another man walks over to me using a louder voice than necessary, and starts talking to me.

"Edward, I would like for you to meet Garrett Miller. He is the head of the Seattle headquarters for the FBI. This is Edward Cullen, sir."

Garrett takes my hand, and shakes it.

"It's very nice to meet you, son. I would like to say I'm sorry for all the trouble keeping quiet has brought you, and I'd sure like to thank you publicly for all that you have done to help in bringing these criminals down. Thank you. You have been cleared of all the on-going drug charges. We have undeniable proof that those drugs were in fact planted in your school locker. I'm sorry that you were dragged into this mess. Mr. Volturi planted the drugs in your locker, on the morning of the incident. He then made an anonymous call to the police station. I have asked Jack to go through your other charges, and we will have them straightened out as well. There will be nothing on your criminal record; everything will be wiped clean."

He gives me a wink, and shakes my hand. They leave me and head over to my family. I watch as my mom's face pales, and her hand goes to her mouth, as she turns to me with tears running down her face. She steps as if she was coming over to me, but is stopped by my dad.

"No, just because he got out of this does not mean he can come home. Have you forgotten what he did to Emmett? He kept this all quiet. I could have helped Jasper, made him stop using. But no, he kept us out," my dad says, pointing at me. "He still involved us all by keeping his mouth shut. If he moves back in, I will move out. So choose what you want, because I'm standing by my son, who he hurt, by going after his girlfriend. I'm also standing by my daughter, who's destroyed over Jasper's drug use. I also will stand by Jasper who is like a son to me, by helping him get over his drug addiction that he helped hush up and hide. Someone has to be his father, and since Mr. Hale was arrested, he will need me more now than ever."

I look to the ground and start to walk away. I will not break up this family – if it means I lose them, then that's okay. I hear Martin shouting to me to stop. I turn to see him, and he is glaring at my dad.

No, not your dad! Dr. Cullen. It's better to think of him like that, and then maybe it won't hurt as much. Just think of them as the Cullen family, and not your family.

I nod at myself.

"You okay?" Martin asks, when he reaches where I'm standing. "Jack and Garrett are filling them in about you helping us. Garrett is telling them that you had to keep it quiet, too. In all honesty, I don't think that he really gives a fuck what the truth is. But, no matter what, you are a part of my family. Edward, you always will be no matter what happens between you and Bella. We all love you—Bella, Dad, and me," Martin says, putting his hand on my shoulder.

I look at him at this point and go to tell him that Bella and I will always be together, but he cuts me off.

"I know, Edward, you and Bella are going to stay together. I'm just pointing out the fact that I'm here for you, no matter what. I see you as a member of my family, now and forever. Come on kid, I need to get you home and fill you in on what's been happening today."

He leads me over to one of the cars, and we head toward his…I mean our home.

Bella runs to me as I get out of the car to enter the house. She throws her arms around my neck, and hugs me tightly.

"What the hell's going on? Edward, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

I take her face in my hands and look into her eyes.

"I am now. I'm here with you, baby."

I give her a kiss, and pick her up taking her back inside our home. Once in the house, we settle in the living room.

"We have made thirty arrests in total tonight; there are only six more people we need to get. Caius is one of them; Marcus was in it up to his ears. We have people going over every case he has ever worked on, right now. The brothers were into a lot; we have proof of several things. Drug manufacturing and trafficking, human slavery, extortion, human trafficking, fraud, blackmail, and we have it on film that Aro put the drugs in your locker. There are other major charges pending, and we have them on a few minor things, too. There's still a lot coming in; Jack and Garrett decided to speed it up, due to what was going on with you. Plus, we have a lot from the information Rose gave us. Rose really helped us a great deal; we have enough to get them sent away for good."

As Martin finishes what he's telling us, I lean over giving Bella a hug and a kiss on her head.

"It's over, baby, they're all gone now," I whisper into her ear.

**29 November**

It's Monday afternoon, and Bella and I have been called into school – Grandpa is coming with us. We arrive early and wait in the office. Mrs. Cope smiles as she sees us enter the room.

"Hello, Mrs. Cope, how is Mr. Banner doing?" Bella asks, as she walks over to her.

"He's doing so much better now. With all the news we got Saturday morning, he's improving a lot. The lies and the implications weighed heavily on his recovery. We know now, that Aro knew all along it was a lie. Mr. Black made up the stories to help himself out," she huffs, shaking her head. "Anyway, Bradley," she stops and smiles.

I can see a faint blush on her face, as she quickly backtracks.

"Sorry, Mr. Banner, he's starting to walk with the aid of a walker. His physical therapist said by next week, he will be able to use a cane. He's slow, but in much better spirits. He has asked about you, too, dear," Miss Cope says.

Her face is the happiest that I have seen, but it's clear the last few weeks having taken a toll on her. The phone on her desk rings, and she answers it. Hanging up the phone, she smiles at us again.

"Mrs. O'Connor will see you now; just go into the office," she points the way.

We walk in and are greeted by a much younger lady than I thought would be here. The woman in front of us must be in her early thirties.

"Hello, I am Siobhan O'Connor," she says extending her hand to shake Charlie's. "I'm here as the acting principal. My sister-in-law, Maggie, is the new biology teacher. I think you both have yet to meet her, but try and not get us mixed up. She hates that, especially when they call her Mrs. O'Connor," she chuckles. "I should also tell you my husband Liam, has taken over as the acting Chief of Police."

She smiles warmly at us, and asks us to sit with her hand, taking her seat behind her desk.

"Okay, now, down to business. I think I will start with Isabella Swan."

She looks at Bella, and smiles.

"Please, call me Bella." Bella smiles, offering Mrs. O'Connor her hand to shake, during her introduction.

"Well, Bella, the inquiry has been completely dropped, so you are free to come back at any time. I have requested that Mr. Jacob Black does not come back here after his treatment. I have already spoken with his father, and Mr. William Black is aware that alternative schooling will have to be made. I have filed the requested forms, so he will not return here as a student. Also, given that you were one of the victims, he would be in violation of any restraining orders. I do take it that you are planning to obtain a restraining order, for when he comes out of treatment?" She pauses, and looks at Bella questioningly.

Bella confirms that she has requested a restraining order, by nodding. I can tell she is nervous, because she quickly takes hold of my hand.

"I should have word back tomorrow morning. I don't foresee any issues, but I will let you know right away. Rest assured that if I don't get the answer I want, I will fight for it. I don't want Jacob Black here. Not only did he hurt you, but what he did to Mr. Banner," she pauses shaking her head. "I can't have him back here, drug free, or not. He's a danger to others, plain and simple. I should tell you now, I always get my way."

Smiling at all of us, she raises her eyebrows in a way that shows she's not joking whatsoever.

"Your record has always been clean. I was going to offer you extra classes to let you get caught up on what you missed, but all your teachers informed me this morning that your work is already done and turned in. I can see that you are a very smart girl and have a 4.0 GPA, which is great. Well done, students like you make my job that much easier."

She smiles again at Bella, and she turns to look at me.

"Mr. Cullen," she says.

I stop her, and offer my hand to shake.

"Edward, please," I say, as she willingly shakes my hand.

She nods in acceptance of my name.

"What can I say; I was offered this job Saturday morning. I came here right away, so I could read up on what has been happening here. I must say, I read all of the students' files in the high school this year on Saturday during the day. I, however, began reading your file that night – I still have not read it all!"

She places her hand on top of a foot tall stack of folders. I turn and look at the files under her hand, and raise my eyebrow questioningly.

"Yes, Edward, these are all yours. That smaller thirty-page folder is Bella's and truthfully, hers has a little more than the average student, but not much more. Believe me when I say there's so much here," she stops taking a deep breath.

I start to fidget, thinking the worst.

"I want you to know that I have spoken to some of the teachers today at the staff meeting. A lot of them agree on what has been said here, in these reports and files. But, you know what, after what happened at this school, and the game, I decided to follow up on a few other things. I spoke to a couple of different FBI agents, Mr. Martin Swan, who I believe is your, uncle, Bella?"

Bella nods, clearly looking scared for me.

"And, I also spoke with Mr. Jack Plate; both said that you helped bring down the drug ring here at school. Both men have given you a great review. I also spoke with their boss, Mr. Garrett Miller; he said that a lot of your crimes recorded in the files here at school were unauthentic in nature. After speaking to them, and a few of the teachers here more privately, that's the reason I have your files sitting on top of my nice new shredder. Now, you are welcome to come back to school. If, in the next four weeks, you show me that these files are wrong, I will shred them all. There are a few stipulations that you must meet," she says, raising her eyebrow at me. "You absolutely must maintain your 4.0 GPA. You must be at school on time, every day, unless it's an excused absence. No fighting, and keep your nose clean."

She raises her eyebrow at me again, this time more in a questioningly manner.

"However, if you prove that all these files are the truth about you – then be warned now, I will become your worst nightmare. I will bring you down, if you give me any crap like is listed in these files. I will bring you down so low, you will be lucky to get a job as a volunteer in a soup kitchen. Agreed?"

I look at her, gulp, and nod in agreement.

"Agreed," she says and smiles.

"The new coach starts tomorrow; would you like to be back on the team, and be captain again?" She asks, looking at me.

"I would like to be back on the team, but please keep Ben as captain. He put in a lot of work these last weeks, and he deserves the notoriety of the position."

She nods, as she writes her notes.

"That's fine, Edward. I will see both of you tomorrow. Thank you all for coming in to see me. I look forward to getting to know both of you. Oh, Edward, would you mind changing your home and phone information with Mrs. Cope, before leaving today?"

She stands and shakes our hands as we leave. I change my information with Mrs. Cope, and I see the slight smile on her face when she notices my address is the same as Bella's.

Grandpa and the guys are all so happy that the meeting went well. They decide to take Bella and me out for dinner. We chose La Bella Italia in Port Angeles. Everyone seems to be in much better spirits now this is out of the way. Martin and Jack have made a few more arrests – they tell us the DA is going for no bail and for all involved to be remanded until hearings are completed.

Both Bella and I are expected to be going back to school tomorrow. I'm planning on taking Bella to school on my bike, no more hiding that we are dating. I can't wait to show her off to everyone, as mine.

**30 November**

Bella and I are out of the shower and dressed. We have both eaten, and are ready to go to school. I talked Bella into us sharing just one backpack that way it will be easier on the bike. We say our goodbyes to Grandpa and head off to school, on my bike. I love to feel Bella sitting close, with her arms around me on the bike behind me. I don't go as fast as I normally do to school, enjoying the feel of her behind me. I take my time. When we get to school the parking lot is crowded, full of students in no hurry to rush off to class. As I pull in to park, I see everyone has turned to see us. Most look surprised or shocked that I'm here. People seemed shocked that I have someone on the back on my bike with me. I get off the bike and take off my helmet, then hold out my hand for Bella to get off the bike. After she's standing in front of me, I pull the backpack off her back and rub her shoulders slightly; I may have to think about another way to carry the books. I don't want her shoulders to hurt from the weight of both our textbooks. I help take off Bella's helmet, and push the loose strands of her hair out of her face. I secure both helmets into my right hand with the straps, and swing the backpack onto my left shoulder and take Bella's hand. I smile down at her, and she looks at me with a big smile on her face. I notice that she's biting her bottom lip, and her face has a blush to it. It's then that I realize everyone has now stopped and are now staring right at us.

"Baby, I love you. It's going to be okay, but I really want to kiss you. Would you mind?"

Please say yes, please say yes!

"I love you, too, sweetie, and I would love for you to kiss me."

I give her my crooked smile, and lean into her and kiss her lightly. Even with my hands full, I manage to get my left arm around her and with the straps from the helmets hanging from my right hand I manage to cup her ass cheek with it anyway. I lift her so she is raised up to me, her feet off the ground as I kiss her until I feel senseless. I slowly switch between the kisses that hungrily devour her mouth, or gently peck her lips. Bella smiles against my lips, as I slow our kisses.

Gently, I place her back on the ground, and recapture her hand as we turn to go into the school. As we go in, I see Alice turn her back to me shaking her head. Jasper is frowning at me with his head tilted to the side. Just as we get to the main doors, Tanya steps out in front of us.

"Eddie, I am so glad you're back. I missed you so much; I see you're doing charity work. It's so nice that someone has befriended the hillbilly, Swan here. But, you may want to wash your hand, because you know, you really don't know where she has been."

Tanya starts looking Bella up and down, as if she is a fungus of some sort.

"It's Edward, Tanya! And, I know where she's been, because I have been there, too."

I take Bella's hand place a kiss on it.

"But, then again, I also know where you have been, and I will NEVER EVER go there. You have nothing on this beautiful girl. She is smart, sexy, kind, talented, real, and whole lot of other things that you are not. You are phony, I would prattle on to say a lot of other things, but I'm not going to, because I have said them before and you pretty much know what they are. Now, I'm going to be the better person and walk away from you with my GIRFRIEND, so goodbye, Tanya have a nice life."

I walk around her with Bella, taking my hand from hers and placing it around her giving her another kiss on the head as we walk into our homeroom class. I hear Tanya shouting and stomping her feet, but don't care enough to make out what she's saying.

So, the day at school went well – both Bella and I got stared at and I hear a lot of whispering about us. Many people are trying to work out why and when we got together. The talking makes me worried about the classes we have apart. I just keep hoping no one upsets her, but today is a good day as we have all the same classes.

We head for lunch, and I'm bouncing from happiness. This is the first time I will be able to eat lunch with her. Bree sits with Alice and Angela today, so we are on our own. I pay for our lunch. Bella and I made a deal that I could pay as long as she could make us cookies or muffins to eat after our lunch. We get a table that no one's at, and I can't help but touch her as much as possible.

I see a lot of the guys looking at us, and I'm making it clear that she's mine with my body language. I would say that I'm marking my territory, which I also did last night. She has more than one mark on her neck because of me. I may have gotten carried away, because the bruises that Jake gave her were just starting to go away. I didn't want people asking Bella where she got the hickeys from when we were hiding, so I couldn't really do it before now.

Someone clears their throat next to us, and I turn to see Alice standing there.

"Do you really think this cock and bull story is going to work? I know that you're fucking Rose. Stop all this lovey-dovey shit, it's not fooling anyone," she says glaring at me. Turning to face Bella she glares her hate-filled eyes at her, too. "As for you, I used to think you were a nice girl. Now, I see you're just a whore like them." Alice points toward Tanya and her group's table. "First you screw Mr. Bann—"

I stand, cutting her off in mid-sentence.

"You just stop right there. You should get your facts right, Alice, before you start shouting out that crap. Bella has been cleared of those accusations. They have proof it was Aro setting her up. Everyone at this school knows, thanks to Mrs. Mallory's big fucking mouth that Bella is still a virgin. So, if my Bella is a whore, even though she not sleeping with anyone, what does that make you, Alice? Huh? I mean you've fucked a few of the boys here, two of them including Jasper who is sleeping with four other girls in this school, besides you. Oh, and this," I stop and kiss Bella. "This is far from any kind of pretending. If seeing me show MY GIRLFRIEND, love and attention bothers you, well then, DON'T LOOK! Now, go back to your well-used lover boy, and stay the hell away from us. And for the last time, I am not fucking, having sex with, or even dating Rose."

Everyone is now looking at us; Jasper runs over to Alice and adds, "I want to know where Rose is. What have you done with Rose? No one knows where she is. Her mom needs her – where is she?"

Alice is now crying, and her tears used to get to me. Not anymore, I did nothing to deserve this treatment. I'm hurt about what I just said to her, but I'm more pissed about what she said to Bella. I shake my head. I'm about to talk when Bella cuts me off.

"Look, Rose turned twenty last March, and she can take care of herself. If she doesn't want to come home, then that says more about her home life, than it does about Edward. Alice, you might be his sister, but you cast judgment on him without thinking or even getting all the facts. You have said and done so much over this last month or so, things you can't ever take back."

I turn and see the whole lunchroom is still watching what's happening.

"Jasper took the drugs, like all the others in this school, of his own free will; no one forced them to take it. Edward didn't supply it, and that has been proven. You know we all have problems; just some of us took the wrong paths. The paths we choose are our own choices to make, and no one else's choices are Edward's fault. This whole school has used Edward as a scapegoat for years now, but you know what? The one person, who has been having a difficult time, is the one who's been wrongly accused of so much. He lost his home, his family, and yet he never took that wrong path. He's not here calling people drugged up bastards, he minds his own business. Yet, he still helps those who need it. So, ask yourself this, Alice, if you needed someone, in the past, or here and now whatever it was, would Edward help you? Without thinking about it. He would stand up to others, and defend you right to the end, even when you have been in the wrong? Then ask yourself, have you done that for him?"

Alice looks at Bella and crumbles into Jasper arms. Jasper goes to defend Alice, but Bella quickly cuts him off.

"How about you, Jasper, can you say that?" Jasper looks at Bella, arching his eyebrows.

"Jasper, when your mom and dad forgot your birthday, who took you out to blow off steam? When you crashed your new car, because you were speeding and drinking while driving, because you broke up with Maria, who did you call, and who took the blame for that and got your car fixed? When you and Alistair got into that fight, when you found out about him fucking Maria, who was it that jumped in to help you in that fight? Who got cut with a beer bottle when they stepped in front of you when Alistair came at you with it? Do you want me to go on?"

Jasper closes his eyes, swallows then shakes his head.

"One more thing I want to ask you both. In the whole time you have known Edward, has he ever lied to you? When you ask him straight out, has he ever lied?"

Both shake their heads, agreeing that I never hide the truth.

"Then why the hell would he start now? He's already lost everything; he has nothing left to lose, but me, and that isn't happening. So, why is he still saying that he's not sleeping with Rose? Why would he lie about that?"

Bella picks up our sandwich and juice and I follow her out. As we head out the door, I hear Alice call me back, but I don't stop.

She gets out the main door, and turns to me.

"I'm sorry; they just made me so mad. I thought this would stop. Now they knew what Aro did, but I couldn't let her stand there and talk to you like you're the bad guy. I know she's your sister but—"

I cut her off by kissing her. Stopping, I look her in the eyes.

"Baby, you did nothing wrong. That was great; no one has ever done that for me. Thank you. I love you. I'm angry and pissed, but not at you, not at all. I just can't get over that she called you a whore, and said you were like Tanya. I could have killed her for that comment—"

This time Bella cut me off by kissing me, after coming apart, Bella motions to the table on the east side of campus. We walk over to the picnic table and eat our lunch, and I have some more fun making out with Bella.

The rest of the day that goes by is pretty much uneventful. As Bella and I head for my bike, I see Alice watching us, and notice she's fighting with Jasper. A part of me wants to go to her and hug her. I miss her so much, but she made it clear she doesn't want me in her life right now. As soon as Bella has her helmet on, and I help her on the bike, I put the backpack on my chest, so I can carry the weight. I put on my helmet and get on the bike. I feel Bella's arms circle my waist, as she slides her front flat against my back. I kick the bike to life, slide it into gear and head for home.

* * *

**A/N: Well clearly Alice is a little more unstable than we all thought. I love that Tanya got put in her place. Bella did a great job of giving it to them in spades. What do you think?  
**


	20. Chapter 20

**Can't promise to post the next chapter yet today, I will if I am feeling better, but for now I'm going to lay down.  
**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Bella!**

**11 December**

School has slowly gone back to normal. Most people are still talking about Bella and me dating. We still get stared at, but not as much now. I sit with Bella, Seth, Bree, and the other football team members at lunch. Ben still sits with Alice, Jasper, Angela, and Jessica. Classes are going much better since I have not gotten into any trouble. Staying out of trouble feels really good; it's so nice to go through a day without get shouted at.

Our new teacher, Miss Crown, is great; she's a very good biology teacher. I would say she is even better than Mr. Banner. She brings in separate things each lesson for Bella and me. We found out on Monday the work we were being handed was for third-year college studies. Her older sister is also a good principal. Anyone would be better than Aro, but she's really good. She gets all the information from each person when there's an issue, and then she acts on the issue. She's a no bullshit type of person.

I think it's funny that she's also sat in on classes to see how the teacher works during that class. I know that I personally think there's more than one teacher that needs to be replaced. She's very dedicated to her job, and seems to always put forth a great amount of effort.

I have been to see her a few times, but never because I was in trouble. Once she called in both Bella and me, to ask us if we would tutor some of the freshmen who were having some problems. We are now tutoring two days a week after school. We started last week, and so far it's going really well. I really have been enjoying helping, it feels good to help someone else.

Bella's car broke down this morning, and she was planning to go to Port Angeles to meet Rose, her Grandma Lilly, and her Auntie Elle. They had planned to do some Christmas shopping.

Bella always buys some toys and much needed things like gloves and scarves for children who are in foster care. There's a group home with about twenty children in Forks. She also makes up care packages for the people who run the house.

This is something she's done for the last few years, and this year would be no different. Bella used to always scrimp and save in order to do this for these kids, but this year she is better off than in years past. I wanted to do my part to assist her in making things better for these kids, so I have also donated money to help. I gave Bella my car to use so that she's able to go; I know how much it means to her.

I wanted to meet her after practice was over this morning, but she said that she wanted to get me something without me seeing. My girl is smart and knows I will miss her, so she promises to text me all the time.

"Do you really need to go? Can't you just stay with me?" I whine, kissing her on her temple.

"Edward, you will see me in a few hours. I promise to call or text all the time. Come on sweetie, you won't have time to miss me. I need to head out, and you need to get your cute ass to school."

I pull her toward me giving her a full on, hot kiss. She looks at me, and I can see the desire drunk look glazing her eyes. I chuckle a little, and she smacks my arm.

"Shit… Edward, you need to stop doing that. I forget everything when you kiss me like that. I love you."

She gives me a little wave and gets in my car. I watch her drive away. I collect my training stuff, and head to school on my bike.

The coach, who we all call Rock, is standing off to the side, awaiting the arrival of the whole team. We all tagged the coach with the name Rock, for a few different reasons. Strangely enough, he resembles Dwayne Johnson from the WWE and movies. It's kind of scary in a way, because not only does Rock look like the wrestler/movie star, but he's built like a brick shit house.

Having Rock for a coach is great. Of course, it would take next to nothing to have a better coach than we had before. Rock has improved the school team spirit in the wake of the crap downfall we have been under. Rock had us do some team building exercises. You know the ones where you throw the ball to someone and they have to say something about themselves, then toss the ball to someone else.

He also made us get into groups of two, to do this lame thing where you close your eyes and let your partner catch you. Strangely, after doing these types of games and coming in for extra practices on Saturdays, we have been working together much better. We are pretty psyched as a team, and we should win our next game. I hope we win, the team deserves it. With a touch of luck, we will walk away from the next game as the winners.

We have been here practicing for an hour when we get a short break. I check my phone, and I see I have a text from Bella.

**From Bella**

**Date: 12/11/10**

**Time 10:18**

**Hey Sweetie**

**I have arrived safely; girls are all here, too. Missing you already love B x~x~**

As I have a few more minutes before we start with the hard stuff, I give Bella a quick call.

Ring… Ring…

"Hi sweetie, are you missing me?" came Bella's voice, and I can hear Rose's voice in the background saying how much of a pussy I am for calling.

"Yes, I am, baby. How's it going?"

"Good so far and I, of course, miss you, too. Hey, since you called, answer a question for me, please. What would you buy for a fifteen-year-old boy, who loves Ozzy Osbourne, and is a self-proclaimed emo for Christmas? Before you suggest a CD, he has every Ozzy CD ever put out."

"Ah…well, I'm not sure, but there's a shop on the bottom floor of the mall that has a large quantity of gothic, emo style items. Check out that store, and there's always Spencer's. You could find him a t-shirt that is retro Ozzy, or maybe a poster. You could also ask if there's anything new that is Ozzy related at Sam Goody's, or Spencer's."

"Thank you, sweetie, I knew you would have an idea. We will try those stores. I know what we are getting all the rest of the kids; I just have some more things to get for the care packages. Rose wants to do some clothes shopping, Grandma Lilly and Auntie Elle are all for it, so I may be a bit later than I first thought coming home."

"Cullen, get off the damn phone and back on the field, now!" Coach Rock shouts from the sideline.

"I'm coming," I turn and shout; I can see all the guys laughing at me. They are acting like they are cracking a bullwhip; they are all implying that I'm whipped. No need denying it, I'm so whipped for this girl, she's my life. "Okay, baby, that's fine. I need to go back to practice now – I love you, baby girl."

"I love you, too, have fun. See ya later, my sexy man." At that, she ended the call.

I head back onto the field, to see what is in store for us now. Rock had us run twenty-four laps of the track around the field, for a total of six miles. We did four reps of fifty each, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and squats. We broke out into two teams, and played two full hours of scrimmages.

Finally, after our massive workout, we all head for the showers. Walking back to the locker room, I pull out my phone to text Bella. I let her know that I'm done for the day, and I see that she sent me a text about ten minutes ago.

**From Bella**

**Date: 12/11/10**

**Time: 3:55pm**

**Hey Sweetie**

**I take it you're still on the field. I bet you're getting all hot and sweaty...hmm! Well I'm in a store with Rose, she thinks I should buy this. Rose says it looks great on me, what do you think? B ~x~x**

I open the attached photo and almost dropped my phone.

Holy fuck! There was a photo of Bella, standing there in a very short dress. Well, the shortest dress I have ever seen on her. Looking at this picture, the first thing that pops into my mind is 'SHE IS FUCKING SEXY!' For the very first time, a photo of Bella garners that type of reaction from me. Every other time it has been 'she's beautiful.' I feel like a jackass, but she looks like hot sex in that dress. Bella is unlike any other girl I have ever met. She's naturally comfortable with her body as long as it's covered. I'm happy with her body, and in this dress her confidence shines brightly.

Bella's a real beauty, and she doesn't even realize how perfect she is. I know that there are parts she wishes she could change, but scars are how we all show our character. She has a few small scars here and there, but the most noticeable is the half-moon shaped-cut on her hand.

Bella's becoming more and more comfortable with me seeing her body, not that she has ever let me see her fully naked. I'm hopeful that soon she will let me have that honor. I'm turning into a pervert, but I've watched so I could see her couple of times in just her underwear. She has a great body, but never flaunts it. She's the only woman I want.

Her body is a lot better than any of the other women I've seen, even in Playboy, but that's my opinion. Yes, of course I look at Playboy; I am a 19-year-old man. Funny thing is, I haven't even _looked _at a copy in the last few months, let alone purchased one. I stop drooling over her photo, and quickly text her back.

**Baby**

**Fuck… what are you doing to me? You look SO sexy in that dress, if you don't buy it I will. That vision has me needing a cold shower now – a very cold shower. WOW! I miss and love you. I can't wait to have that sexy body close to me. E xx**

I place my phone in my locker – lock it, and run to get a quick shower. All I can think of is getting back to my phone so I can see that photo again. Yeah, I have turned into a pervert, and I really don't give a shit. I love my girl, and she has a super smoking hot body.

I spend the next ten minutes trying to hide the massive hard-on I'm packing. I really don't want to explain why I have it. I also don't want any of them thinking of my Bella like a sex symbol; she is mine and I don't share. Her body is mine, and mine alone to look at and enjoy. I get out my phone and check it again, and find another text from Bella.

**From Bella**

**Date 12/11/10**

**Time: 4:20**

**Sweetie**

**I don't think they have it in your size, but I can cheek if you want. I bet you will still look good in it, even if it is a little small. Did you enjoy your cold shower? B~x~x**

Ha, ha, my silly, sexy, funny girl. I bet she was blushing like mad when she sent that text.

**Baby**

**I won't look as good as you, but I'm not sure that will ever be possible. *wink* As for the shower, I would have enjoyed it more if you were in there with me. *wink* I'm on my way home now, do you need me to do anything? Exx**

I get dried off fast, and get dressed before looking at Bella's reply.

**From Bella**

**Date 12/15/10**

**Time: 4:40**

**Sweetie**

**Yeah, I need some fruit juice, maybe some apple and orange. Grab some beer ****for Grandpa,**** too, if you can, anyway...LOL. If you don't mind, could you grab the stuff for a salad for dinner tonight? Thank you, I love you. B ~x~x**

I chuckle on the way to my bike; she knows I can buy beer anytime. Paula, at the store, likes me, and will let me buy whatever I want, as long as I give her my panty dropping smile, as Bella puts it.

**Baby Girl,**

**Sure, no problem – I will take care of all that. Text when you leave to head home. I love you, too. Exx**

I head off on my bike to the grocery store. I pick up the stuff Bella asked for, plus some extra stuff. I load everything into the huge duffel, and secure it across my back to head home. When I get home, Grandpa is still out, so I have the house to myself. I give the place a quick clean up, not that it's messy, but I give it a once over.

I received a few more text messages off and on from Bella. She even sent me a few more photos of what clothes she has been forced to buy. She looks lovely in everything she sent me, and I tell her so. Just as I am settling down to get a head start on my homework, the phone rings, interrupting my work progress.

Ring…Ring… "Hello, Swan residence," I say, using my business voice to answer.

"Hi, Edward, it's Martin. Just to let you know that Jack, Cole, and myself are going to head over for the night. Could you see if Bella minds adding us into the dinner plans? We should be there about six."

I chuckle – he knows that Bella always cooks enough for an army.

"She is out right now, but I will let her know. I'm sure it won't be a problem. See you guys soon."

"Thanks Edward, see you in a few hours."

Before I get a chance to text her she sends me a text.

**From Bella **

**Date: 12/11/10**

**Time 5:16**

**Sweetie **

**I'm almost ready to leave, and head my way back home. I can't wait to see you. Can make sure the oven is on? I put it on the timer, it should auto start at 5:30. I really have missed you today, so much. I love you. B ~x~**

I smile knowing just how much I have missed her these last few hours. I hate it when we are apart.

**Baby**

**Martin just called. Jack, Cole, and he are on the way here; they want to eat with us. I will make sure the oven starts on time. I have fucking missed you so much as well. The next time I'm coming with you. I don't care what anyone says. I love you, my beautiful baby girl. Exx**

**From Bella**

**Date: 12/11/10**

**Time: 5:29**

**Sweetie**

**Okay, that's cool that they're joining us. I would love for you to join me next time I go shopping. I'm going to go now, it just started raining; I'll see you soon. Since I am driving I need to keep my phone off. See you soon – love you. B ~X~x**

Shit, Bella hates driving in the rain. I know there's no point in texting or calling now, she will not answer. It's another ten minutes before the rain hits here and it's coming down pretty heavy. I start to feel panicky as Grandpa comes in.

"It's really starting to come down out there. Is Bella on her way back yet?" He asks, as he shakes off his hat and jacket, and hangs them up on the peg.

"Yeah, she sent me a text about twenty minutes ago to say that she was on way back, and that she was keeping her phone off."

The worry must have come out in my voice, because Grandpa came over to me and put his hand on my arm.

"She's a good driver, Edward, she should be back soon. She knows to take her time in the rain."

I give him a smile and a nod. "Martin called; he's coming for dinner with Cole and Jack."

"Thanks, Edward," Charlie calls out to me, as he heads to his room.

An hour goes by and I'm about to start climbing the wall. Just as I jump up, having decided to go out looking for her on my bike, the front door opens.

Thank God, she's back!

"Bella, baby, thank God you're home. Fuck, I've been so worried about you, baby girl," I say. As I turn the corner I see Martin, looking at me in shock.

"Edward, you're here? What the fuck? Thank God you're here."

I raise my eyebrows at him questioningly. "Yeah, I've been here for a while. I came straight back here after practice. I've been waiting on Bella to get back, why?"

"What! She's not home yet? But, her car, it's outside." Martin's tone of voice is scaring me. There's too much emotion, or something there.

"Yeah, her car wouldn't start this morning. Since she was going to Port Angeles to meet Rose, Lilly and Elle, she took my car."

I watch as Martin's already pale face goes whiter. He looks from me to Grandpa, before picking up his phone.

"Martin, what's wrong? What's going on?"

Martin interrupts Grandpa by holding up his hand.

"Jack, it's Bella, not Edward. Bella's using Edward's car, we need to get a fix on her tracker chip, now. I'm on my way back there right now." Martin is clearly holding back tears. I didn't even know that I moved closer to him, until Martin jumped because of the fact I was almost on top of him.

"What is going on? Where is she? She sent me a text to say she was on her way back." I look at my watch; it's been just over ninety minutes. "Where is she Martin?" I ask, knowing that I was going with him to find her. "When you came in, you thought she was here," Grandpa grabs a hold of my arm shushing me, while giving Martin a pointed look.

"We were on our way here when Cole said he saw Edward's car. When we went back we found the car; it was off the road. It was facing the out-of-town side – it was pretty far back, and looks like it has been hit from behind." Martin stopped for a minute, taking a deep breath. "The car, it hit a tree. Both air bags deployed, there was no sign of anyone in the car, or around it. We tried running the plates to confirm if it was your car or not, but the plates came back as stolen from a car out of Seattle." Martin stops again, and clears his throat. "There was some blood in the car. We thought that it was you, because she has not hit her alarm. We thought that maybe you went to get her, because of the rain. When I got here and saw her car, I thought she was okay. Then I was worried about what I was going to tell her, until I heard you. Then I thought you both were here, and that she'd driven out and brought you home in her car."

I cut him off by picking up my phone, and start calling her. The calls all went straight to her voice mail.

Fuck!

"Bella, baby, please call me and tell me you're okay, please."

Fuck!

I start pacing the living room floor pulling at my hair, while I dial the number again.

"Look, Martin here saw my car, I don't give a fuck about it being wrecked, please call and tell me you're okay. Please baby, call me back."

I look at both Grandpa and Martin, and call her again.

"I need to get back out there, I need to help find her," Martin says, as he moves to leave.

"I am going, too!" I shout out.

Martin stops, and turns to me, but this time Grandpa cut him off.

"We are both going, Martin. I need to be there, so does Edward," he says as all three of us head out.

Please God, don't take her from me, please. I will give anything for her to be okay. Please, I will give up my own life, and everything I have. Please, let her be okay, please. I can't lose her like this, please. God, tell me what you want from me, what I need to do, for her to be safe.

I don't remember travelling to the crash site. I hear Martin say something about that they have sent out an Amber Alert and closed of all exit roads out of Forks. We get to where the crash happened pretty quickly. My car is clear and off to the right side of the road. The front is embedded in a large tree, and the back is completely smashed in. There is a second car, and it is badly mangled, too. It's clear that this was not an accident, and I'm becoming more and more panicked.

We have been here for five minutes, and the rain is still coming down heavily. As I pace the road, I try to control my temper, because I'm fucking pissed. I'm mad that we are all fucking standing here like pricks, when we could be out there looking for her. These slow ass fucking cops – why the fuck do they need to do everything by the fucking book? We should be searching for her already, argh!

I turn to see Jack on his phone going over a map of the area. I look over to where Harry is, who is getting out of a car along with Will, Sue, and Seth. I start heading over just in time to hear Jack talking.

"I just got word; Bella's alarm has been triggered. The alarm started about five minutes ago. It was located six miles due east from this location here," Jack says as he points to the area on the map. "Okay people, we need to do this fast, and right. Remember that she will most likely be hurt, and we are unsure how badly. There's a strong possibility that there will be an armed suspect near, or in the area as well. Please stay calm, and no hero stuff. Are we clear?" Jack asks the last part, while looking right at me. Just then another car shows up with Rose in it, she comes running over to us.

"Can I help? Please, I want to help," Rose pleads to Jack, Martin, Grandpa, and I. We all nod and take off into the woods.

It takes us just over forty minutes to get to Bella's tracker location. Bella is nowhere to be found, after looking around, one of the police officers finds her bracelet and her phone on the ground. At this point, Jack decides to split us into teams, giving each team a flare, map, walkie-talkie, and a first aid kit. Each team has one law enforcement officer with them who is armed. Harry and Cole are also armed, because they both have licenses to carry concealed weapons. As more people turn up to help search, I'm stunned to see Peter show up along with, Lilly, Ella, Waylon, and Keith. I go over and greet them and give them all hugs.

We have been searching for two hours now, and it's starting to get dark out. It's after eight pm, and Bella's last text to me was at 5:30, and I'm coming close to losing it. The team I'm with is Rose, who has surprised me by still being here, Martin, and Cole. Jack, Garrett, Harry, and Seth are with Charlie and Lilly.

"There," I say at the sound of a shot, and the flash of the flare in the sky. I hear shouts, across the area.

"Possible suspect, FBI has secured, medical is needed here."

I bolt off running to where the flare and voices came from. I have Martin hot on my heels. When I get there, I see that the medical team arrives, too, as the torch shines on the person, my heart about stops. There, lying on the ground is Caius, Aro's little brother. He has a head injury, and scratches on his hands, arms, and face. I'm proud that Bella has defended herself against him pretty well, but I can't be too happy because she's not here. Caius has been knocked unconscious, so he cannot tell us where she is. Martin holds me back, I'm not sure why.

"Edward, he's unconscious, we need him to come around. He may know where she is. Let's find her before we do anything to him. I want five minutes in a room alone with him, too."

I turn to him, and I realize that I must have the same looking face as everyone else here. We all are close to Bella, and we all want to kill the fucker. As he is taken away, we all start to search again. It's pretty hard to see, even with the flashlights we are all carrying. I let out a breath, as I turn to see Rose trip for the fifth time this hour.

"Rose, it's getting really dark, maybe you should head back up and get a coffee. I'm sure Charlie wouldn't mind if you go to his house," I say hoping she hears me over the calls of Bella's name.

"What? No, I am staying here until we find her. I know we only just became friends over the last month, but she has become my best friend. I fucking wish I took more notice of her in school, but I didn't. Yet, she helps me with no questions asked. Edward, I can't leave. I won't leave, please don't make me."

I turn and nod at her, knowing just how she feels about how easy it to become Bella's friend.

"I want to be here for you, too. I fucked up with you in the past. I know I can't take that shit back, but right now Bella and you are all I have. You really are a pretty neat guy, when you're not being a jackass. I would like us to become friends," Rose says.

Her voice is small, but I know her well enough to know what she's saying, what she really means.

"Yeah, you can be nice, too when you're not being a bitch."

She rolls her eyes and begins calling out Bella's name again.

Martin has told our group to take a five minute rest, while he talks to Jack. Rose is off to my left, near the cliffs. I'm pacing, and muttering to myself.

Where are you, baby girl? Please, hang on, please. I should have come and got you as soon as it started raining. Please forgive me, please.

"Oh my God, Edward. She is right there! Edward, help! Shit, fuck, help! Martin! Edward!"

I turn to where Rose is, and run to her. When I get to her she shaking with tears running down her face.

"Rose. What? Where is she?"

Rose points out in front of her, and I shine my light, but can't see her.

"Rose, where…" I'm cut off by the light of the lighthouse shining on the rocks. There, lying on top is a person, as the light hits it again, I can see clearly that it's Bella.

"Rose, get the flare out! Fire the fucking flare, and take them to the beach. You know how to get there, Rose, remember we have been there loads of times. Remember where we all used to go? Take the rescue team there, now. I will get her there to the beach; you get them there, Rose. Use the flare," I say.

She looks at me as I take off my jacket, shirt, shoes and jeans. I run and jump off the cliff. As I am falling into the water, I hear the sounds of Jack and Martin calling my name.

I hit the ice cold water, as I hear the flare being fired. It also gives me the light I need to start for the rock, where she lays. The rain is making the visibility hard, but I will not stop. I have been swimming in these waters loads of times, so I know the water pretty well. Between the lighthouse light, and the flare, I keep going. When I get to the rock, I hoist myself up, and check to make sure she's still breathing, and has a heartbeat.

"Bella, baby it's me, Edward. Can you hear me?" She makes no move, and I notice her hands are tied together. I push her hair back; see her face has bruising all over it. It's clear that that fucker hit her, from the knuckle print bruise on her cheek. I give her a quick look over to assess her injuries.

She has a broken leg, and the skin is torn; I can clearly see the broken bone. She looks pretty beaten up, and there's a possible stab wound to her left side. After taking a few deep breaths to try and keep myself in control, I start talking to her again. "Bella, hold on, please. I need to get you to shore." I kiss her head gripping a hold of her, waiting for the lighthouse to show me the way to the local shore. Once I see the direction I need to go, I hold her close to me, hating that moving her might hurt her more, but knowing she needs help.

"Okay, baby girl, we need to get back in the water. I know the water is cold, just hang in there baby, I will get us to shore. I love you, Bella, just stay with me."

This time as the light comes around to light my path, I take her into the water and I start to swim back. I push myself as hard and as fast as I can. I'm swimming much faster than I have ever swum before.

As we near the shore I'm met by some FBI agents. One picks up Bella and the other helps me to stand, as we head out of the water. I watch as they lie her down and the EMT starts to work on her.

"BP is low she going into cardiac arrest. Start CPR."

Fuck, no! Please, God. No! I watch – it's like watching a film as they work to get her heart restarted. Time moves so fast, it's all a blur. I know they're talking, I see all their lips moving, but I can't hear any of it. There are three of them working on her. It seems like forever, but just because she's not responding. We all watch, just waiting for her to come around. I pray they don't give up; I don't want to hear them say she is gone.

"Okay, I am calling it. Time of Death, 12th of December, 2010 00:18 am."

No, she can't be dead. I can still feel her, she can't be dead. She is not dead, she's not.

I run over and push the EMTs out the way. I touch her hand, and I still feel the sparks.

See, she is still here, her heart is just slowed right now, but it's still beating. The water was really cold; you just need to work on her.

"Hey kid, I'm sorry, but she's gone," the EMT says, touching my hand.

"No, she's not! The water was cold, she's still here. I will not give up on her." I start CPR and breathe for her; the EMT tries to pull me away, only to be stopped by the other EMT.

"Bella, please come back. You promised not to leave me. Please, I need you."

I breathe into her mouth; I know I can save her. As long as I can feel her, I'm not giving up.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16…two breaths.

"Fuck, Bella baby, please fight, don't leave me, please. Come on girl, fight!"

10 11 12 13 14 15 16…two breaths.

Don't give up we can save her!

"I'm not giving up on you, Bella; you might just as well come back to me. Come on girl, fight for me. I love you, please."

10 11 12 13 14 15 16…two breaths.

I can see Rose leading Grandpa, Martin, Cole, Seth, Sue, Will, Lilly, Elle, Keith, and Harry down to where we are. Grandpa falls to his knees, as I hear the sounds of different people crying.

10 11 12 13 14 15 16…two breaths.

Please, God, please don't take her!

I will not give up! I will not give you up!

* * *

**A/N: Keep in mind Nikky and I are HAPPILY EVER AFTER kind of gals. So what are your thoughts? Caius is a creeper, isn't he? So they were after Edward, not Bella. Edward's swimming lessons seemed to help pay off. I will try to post again tonight, but I have to go lie down for a while first.  
**


	21. Chapter 21

**Last one for tonight.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Day I Died**

**Please note this chapter is taken from Bella's POV!**

I'd never given much thought to how I would die, or what would happen in those last few minutes of my life, but at seventeen who does. Some say your life flashes before your eyes; some say you see a white light. Others say that there's nothing at the other end, while most believe that you will meet with your loved ones who passed on before you. I never gave any thought to which scenario was true, until today. Today, I am lying here at the mercy of God, facing death head on, and it's all I can think about.

Let me tell you a little about how I got where I am today. My name is Isabella Marie Swan; I am the daughter of Phillip Keith Dwyer and Renee Mary Swan. My childhood was not a good one, and I never had two parents living with me at the same time. I'm sure there are children who have been through more than I have, but my childhood was riddled by abusive situations.

Renee, my mother, never showed me any love or affection. I'm not even sure she knows how to love anyone. My rules growing up in her home were unrealistic for a child. She made sure I knew that her rules must be followed. My rules were:

Only call her Mom when Phil, Nan, or Grandpa was around.

Don't talk to her, unless Phil, Nan, or Grandpa was there!

Only speak to others if in the presence of Phil, Nan, or Grandpa.

Stay in my room at all times.

Must remain quiet, no fucking around, as she put it.

She never bought me any toys or books, and never allowed me to have anything musical. She had a bunch of things in the house that other people had bought me, but she kept them put away. The only time I saw those toys and books was if Phil was coming to see me. There was a large closet in my room that Phil turned into my own bathroom, but I was only allowed to use the toilet in there. She turned off the water supply for the bathtub and sink. When I was almost four, she said she had enough of my lazy ass and I was sent off to school. I was in school at eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, Monday through Friday. She had to lie about my age to get me enrolled, but she did it.

I hardly spoke to anyone at all for the first two months I was in school. She was mad at me because the teacher called her with the concern of me being so quiet. She disciplined me that night. With every hit she screamed out horrible words at me. I didn't understand then what those words meant, but I knew they were bad. I knew I was bad and horrible, because she told me so every day. So I tried harder, wanting to give her a reason to like me. One of the teachers did a lot of one-on-one work with me, and helped me a lot. I pretty much worked on my schoolwork the entire time I was awake each day.

After a few months, I was doing great with my work. The teacher called Renee back in saying I improved so much. I was now one of the top students in my class, but they were still concerned about how quiet I was. The teacher wanted to know if I had any friends that I played with outside of school.

I still don't know what Renee told her, but that night I again knew her wrath. At the parent-teacher conferences, Renee had to go, because they demanded a meeting because of my lack of communication skills. I'm not really sure what all she said to them, but my teacher started hugging her, and consoling her as she was crying.

I felt so bad that I made my mom cry. That night she told me that she knew no one would want to be my friend, because I was an evil person, and anyone who would become my friend would get hurt and it would be my fault entirely.

As the months passed, I talked to one girl; she wanted to be my friend. I thought that I could get away with it if I was really careful. After three weeks of friendship, we were getting along well and she invited me to her birthday party. I was happy to be invited, even if I knew Renee would not let me go. The nice thing was the invite I got was different from all the other kids in the class.

That night Renee wakes me up to tell me she hopes I was happy now, I didn't listen and now Eva was in the hospital badly hurt. You see she was playing outside, riding her bike when a car crashed into her. Renee told me it was my fault, because she was coming here to ask me to play. After that I did not make any friends, and I stayed away from Eva.

When I started second grade, we went on a field trip to the local libraries for story time. I loved it there – there were so many books there. We were all given library cards and told that we could take up to six books out at a time. We were allowed to check out some books that very day. I took out my first lot of books that day. I hid them when I got home; I was scared of what Renee may do.

I managed to hide my trips to the library for three months. At that point I was reading three full books per week. When she found out about the books, she said that if I was old enough to do that, then I could do more work around the house. She said I needed to stop sitting on my ass all the time. So I got more rules.

To clean the house from the top to bottom each day.

To make Renee her breakfast and bring it to her in bed; lunch needed to be prepared and ready for her, before I left for school. As for dinner, it had to be put on a plate and ready for her to eat at exactly seven in the evening.

My homework and studies had to stay up, nothing less than an A plus would be tolerated by her.

So, I got into the routine of getting up at six in the morning. I would make Renee's lunch, and place it in the refrigerator. Then, I would make her breakfast, and take it to her. After that I would get dressed for school, and leave by twenty after seven. It took me thirty minutes to walk to school, but Renee refused to sign me up for the free bus.

I always stayed at school until four in the afternoon. Walked the half an hour home, and started dinner. While dinner cooked, I would quickly clean any messes Renee made during the day, while I was at school. I always had the table set and ready for her by half past six, and plated her dinner at five before seven, so it would not be cold. I would then do all my homework, and wait until about half past eight to go downstairs and clean the kitchen. I was pretty clean as I cooked, so there was not much mess usually. Sometimes Renee would leave me scraps to eat from, but mostly if I did not sneak and eat as I cooked, I was left with next to nothing to consume.

It was never until after nine at night, when I was able to escape into the books I got from the library. Reading was my only true form of enjoyment in my young life. On Saturdays and Sundays, I would spend time at the library. I would sit in the music corner listening to music, classical quickly became my favorite type of music to listen to.

I would spend some of the school holidays with Phil, and his family. I loved it – I didn't have to work all the time and I could just spend time being a kid. Renee hated when he would take me away, she would scream at him, then punish me when I got back.

Then there were the times when Phil would come and stay with us for a few days. Those days were when Renee was a different person. All the stuff people bought me would be out, and I was allowed to play with it. She would make dinner, but she wasn't that great of a cook. Phil joked that her bad cooking was the reason I was so thin. Phil never knew that I usually only eat once a day, and that was when I was at school. Unless Phil, or Grandpa Charlie was around.

When I was eight, things changed. That was when my dad Phil found out what Renee had been doing to me. He dropped in unexpectedly to see me. He was so mad at Renee; he shouted the whole time I was upstairs getting my stuff he sent me to get.

I put on clean clothes first, and then I picked up Edwin and ran to my dad. I was so happy that he was taking me away from her, but sad and scared to think about what would happen when I had to come back. He died that night. Renee was different after that, she almost looked possessed.

Then she started to drink. I watched helplessly as she stopped eating. She only went out to buy alcohol. It was only a month later when Renee began hitting me. The very first time she did, with every hit she would scream at me how it was my fault that Phil was dead. She then told me that it was also my fault my Grandma Mary died. She went on to tell me how Grandma Mary died holding me.

Grandma had tried to take me away from Renee, and just like with Phil, my evilness killed her. She told me over and over how evil I was. How the evilness of my being alive caused others to die when they tried to help me. I did not deserve anything but the slavery Renee bound me to, my killings proved that. This abuse went on for four long horrible years.

On my twelfth birthday, things really changed. Grandpa Charlie came to visit. I usually went to see him for two weeks each summer. I loved it when I was there, he and Uncle Martin would spend time with me. Uncle Martin was teaching me how to play the guitar. As the years went by, I started to shy away from them, worried that the evil inside of me would kill them, too. I know now that he showed up to talk to Renee about how I seemed so unhappy at my last visit. He was worried about me.

Renee was not expecting him, so when he showed up it was a complete surprise. He caught on very quickly to how Renee had been treating me. He even caught Renee trying to cut me, he was mad. Everything happened so fast, the doctors, the police, and social workers.

It was only a week later when I was moved to live with Grandpa Charlie in Forks. Renee ended up in the hospital, too; the doctors said she had a breakdown. Renee clearly needed a lot of help, not just the physical kind of help. Grandpa cried when Dr. Cullen checked me over. Especially when Dr. Cullen confirmed that the abuse and neglect had been ongoing for many years.

Grandpa was great; he helped me to adjust to living normally. He hated having to punish me for anything, because of the things Renee had done to me. Grandpa did parent me well though, he came through in the end showing me the boundaries I needed to live by.

Grandpa's friends all helped him, help me anyway that they could. Billy, who was a single father, helped him the most in the first few months. That's how I came to meet Jacob Black. Jacob always sat near me, and talked non-stop. It became clear after the first year that he liked me, but I did not return those feelings.

I told him that I thought of him as only a friend, but he kept at me. He always told me if I just gave him the chance, I would love him the same way he loved me. He would try and touch my arm or face, which always made me feel so uncomfortable.

I started trying to stay away from him, it didn't work though. He kept sitting next to me in school, and always claiming me as his partner in gym, or class projects. He hated when the teachers would pick the groups, especially when he was in a different group.

Several times Edward and I were teamed together, because the teachers tried to keep the groups together that had the same scores. Six out of ten times in high school, Edward and I were paired together for academic things. I always liked doing the projects with Edward, he was smart, but also gave me space. He never really talked to me about personal stuff, and he made me laugh.

Jacob hated it anytime he realized that I had been assigned a project with Edward. I also noticed that was when Tanya was particularly meaner to me as well. Tanya is always a bitch, but if I got paired with Edward, she was worse than a pit bull with PMS.

Jacob would always do horrible things, causing issues for Edward, just to try to get him in trouble. I saw all of his crap, but never said much to anyone. Jacob was so jealous that he even forced a kiss on me. I tried to push him off of me after the shock wore off. I was not strong enough, but when he finally released me I wiped my hand across my mouth and let him have it. I made sure he knew that we were no longer friends, and to stay away from me. From that time forward, if he sat down next to me I moved away.

I requested that no teacher paired me with him for anything at all; soon he got the picture. I guess the rage was still there, because last year he attacked me. He had been becoming more and more aggressive at school. He hurt lots of people; he was no longer the talkative, childish boy I first met.

Edward, well, what can I say about him. I love him very much, he has become my world. The first time I met him at school; I was in a hurry and ran right into him. We both lost our balance, and tumbled toward the open window. As we toppled out the window onto the grassy yard, I felt him pull me close and rotate our bodies so I would land on him.

I am not sure why the window was open, but thankfully it was, or we both would have been cut by the broken glass. As we fell, I closed my eyes. I was so frightened; I have always been so clumsy. It was not until I felt a spark on my face, that I opened my eyes, meeting a green pair staring back at mine. It took a few seconds to realize he had asked me if I was okay. I told him I was, and asked him if he was okay. I panicked when he said he couldn't feel his legs, when he pointed down, I realized that I was laying on them. I laughed at the silliness of his joke, and got up.

He told me his name and welcomed me to Forks. A lot of people saw what happened, and for the rest of the week people warned me to stay away from him. They told me all about the bad boy Edward, trying to convince me he was dangerous. I was warned several times I should keep away from him. But, when I looked at him I saw a smart, funny, caring boy who had a lot of hurt inside, just like me.

As the years went on, we never really talked. He had his friends and family, I normally sat by myself, after the Jake incident blew up in my face. Occasionally, I sat with Bree, but mainly sat alone. The only time Edward and I talked was over class projects, and we always worked well together.

Which brings us to this year, and it has been a difficult year. I found out that my former friend was taking all kinds of drugs. I got beat up, and found out about Aro, and his gang. The only good thing was Grandpa and the guys paid for me to go to Music camp. They all know I love music, and could play the violin and guitar pretty well. When they told me, I was jumping up and down with excitement.

Will and Harry's wife promised to take care of Grandpa for me. When I got to camp, I was surprised to see Edward there. I was more shocked that he was in my same living area. Over the weeks away at camp we became close friends. I told him about my past, and what has been happening in school.

Edward told me about himself. By the end of the ten weeks, I knew that I was in love with him. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him. When we got back to Forks our newly forged friendship became stronger and stronger.

Edward was always there when I needed him. I hoped all along that he felt I was there for him, too. It's been a hard few months, but we managed to make it having each other to lean on. Edward and I are getting along great, so much has happened around us.

His family has turned their backs on him. It all started when Rose and Emmett broke up. She ended up agreeing with them when they accused her of seeing Edward now. Rose had so many reasons behind her lies, some were selfish, others not so much. We only found out about her reasons a month ago when Edward saved her from being gang raped.

That was a hard month – first Jacob attacked a teacher. He also strangled me and hurt Edward. Jacob claimed to have done all of this because I was sleeping with the teacher. Then, of course, Edward was set up, and arrested for drugs.

Jacob is still in the hospital, going through detox and rehab. All of the charges and accusations against Edward and me have been dropped. Aro and most of his gang are in jail for all of their illegal activates. Edward's family is still not talking to him, and I know it's really bothering him that they have shut him out. He doesn't say much to anyone else, but he has talked to me about it.

He has forgiven Rose for what she did, and surprisingly Rose and I have become great friends. Now that she has disassociated herself from her father, she is much nicer and calmer. Edward thinks that now she is choosing to be the person she wants to be; he can see the huge difference in her. He even got her an internship in an auto shop; she starts just after the New Year.

Today didn't start well for me; my car, which I have not driven in week, would not start. I need the car today, because I was shopping with Rose, Auntie Ella and my Grandma Lilly. Edward had football practice, so he was not going; this was going to be a girl's day out for me. Not that I ever really had many or really any of those before. I knew I would have fun today.

When my car wouldn't start, Edward let me use his car. The girls and I were going to be in Port Angeles, and that is an hour away. I was picking up Edward's Christmas gift, along with some gifts that I was buying for the children's home and care packages for the local elders.

I had a really great day with my family, and Rose. I spent a little more money on myself than I would normally, but Auntie Ella and Rose insisted that I needed some new things. We headed out of the mall and to our cars a little after five pm. Grandma and Auntie Ella left first, and Rose left when I was texting Edward.

I sent a text to let him know that I was on my way. About twenty minutes into my drive home, I pull over to text Edward again. I wanted to make sure he knew it was raining pretty hard, and that I was driving slower. I also let him know not to worry about me if I didn't answer, because of the weather; I was staying off my phone. I just pulled back out onto the highway and saw a car pass me.

I watched in the review mirror that it slowed down and turned around. After the car was going the same direction as I was, it sped up. The next thing I knew it was tailgating me. Suddenly, it hits me, sending me off into a tree on the other side of the road. It felt like just seconds, but must have been more, when I was getting dragged out of the car by Caius. He was screaming at me asking where Edward was, I couldn't find my voice. I wanted to tell him to go fuck himself. The next thing I knew he was pushing me and dragging me into the woods.

When I woke up, I was in the woods, with my hands tied behind my back and my ankles were tied together. Caius was pacing back and forth; when he saw I was awake he started talking. He was yelling, and every now and then he would hit me.

He bent down and got right in my face, and told me he had a great bedtime story for me. I sat there listening to him talk about all the things he and his family were responsible for. In that moment I hated him and his brothers, more than I have ever hated anyone or anything. I wanted them all to rot in hell until the end of time.

As the rain came down I felt so sleepy and dizzy, but made myself stay wake. My inner voice was screaming for me to fight, and not to give up. I kept thinking about Edward, I knew he would be out looking for me soon. He would be so worried, and blaming himself for not being with me.

I had to fight for him, fight for the love we share. I told Caius that I needed to pee; he laughed and said to go ahead. He did not turn around, and he made no move to untie me. I just needed him to turn away from me for a few minutes, but he was stalling and not moving to turn away.

Luck must have been on my side; suddenly we both hear a twig break. Caius was looking around to see where the noise came from. From the ground, I could see that there was a deer in the brush off to our left. Caius turned when the second twig broke. I took this opportunity and shimmied my arms so they were in front of me. I have never been so grateful that Renee used to tie my arms behind my back before.

I used my teeth to trigger my alarm. Caius turned around and noticed my arms in front of me. He moved closer to me asking what I was doing. I was lying flat gripping the large stick that was above my head as Caius came closer. The closer he got to me, the more I went over my actions in my head. Turn – lunge – hit.

As he neared, I turned and I hit him hard on the head with the heavy stick. I hit him a few more times for good measure and used the knife that he dropped to cut the rope around my feet. I just managed to get it cut, as he came to. With my feet unbound I ran, trying to cut the rope on my hands at the same time. That is when I stumbled down the embankment, stabbing myself.

Note to self: no running with knives. I lost the knife in the tumble and I had no time to look for it because I heard him close by. So, I got up and ran as fast as I could. By now it was dark and I had no idea where I was. But, I kept going – I could hear him calling me; I saw a break in the trees, so ran for the open area.

I ran as a light hit where I was running to, my breath stopped. I staggered falling on my behind at the edge of the cliff. I turned, getting back up to run along the side, but Caius quickly grabbed me. I screamed as he picked me up. I kicked, bit, and dug my finger nails into him. We both fell to the ground; I kept kicking and trying to pull myself away from him.

I picked up a rock and hit him on the side of the head. I'm not sure what happened, but suddenly a pain shot up my leg. I fell back to the ground, and I could not get back up. Caius laughed at me while picking me up and he kissed the side of my head. He leaned in whispering to me, "Goodbye Bella," and then I was falling.

I hit the ice cold water; he had thrown me off the cliff. The water was hard, cold, and it was dark. The tide was going out, and I was scared. My head was screaming at me to swim just like Edward showed me, but to where was the question. Then suddenly the lighthouse light came back around and I saw what I thought was a small rocky patch. It seemed to be much closer than the shore. I treaded water, waiting for the light to shine on it again, before heading that way.

My head hurt, so did my leg. I was swimming with my hands tied together, and only able to kick with one leg. I kept going under the water. I could hear my inner voice shouting, it kept yelling 'RED' over and over again. As I struggled to get closer to the rock, I got hit by a large roll of waves that sent me under. When I came up I could not see anything not even the rock. I could feel myself panicking, until I heard his voice. "_Bella just breathe, small deep breaths. Keep swimming, come on girl. Use the light, to find the rock." _

I stopped trying to swim, and tread water again. I waited for the light to rotate around, on the third rotation, I saw the rocks. _"Swim, Bella, come on swim,"_ his voice calls me on. I felt like hours passed before I got to the rock. I was so cold and tired. I push myself up on the rock, only to lose my grip and fall back in the water. I tried again only to fail.

I couldn't do it, I felt like giving up. _"Isabella, get your ass up here now girl! Come on, you promised me. You promised to stand by me, don't you dare give up. You hear me? Isabella, get your ass up here now."_ I canhear the hurt in his voice even if he was only pretending to be angry at me.

"I'm sorry, I can't get up. I'm so tired, please let me sleep. I can't get up, please."

I hear someone cry,_ "Isabella! I love you so much, if you love me then get on this fucking rock now. You can do it, I know you can. I will find you. You know I will, just get up here and wait for me. I will not live without you,_" I hear the crying again. I take a deep breath using both my legs to climb up, pushing past the pain that is shooting through my leg. I drop down on the rock as I get to the top.

That brings us to the now. I'm not sure how long I have been lying on the rock, maybe an hour or so. I'm so tired now, but I have to stay awake. I can feel the rain, and waves hitting me. I feel my eyes close. _"I will find you, just stay with me." _I forced my eyes open again. I see a flash in the sky, as everything goes black, I whisper "I love you Edward."

Suddenly, there is a bright light in my face. It also sounds like a train is going by. I open my eyes blink a few times to get used to the light, then the train goes past me fast.

"That was the express train. There's no stopping on that one, just goes from A to B," comes a voice from beside me. I turn to see a middle-aged man, maybe in his thirties. I don't know who he is, but he seems so familiar. "Ours will be along soon, it's running a little late," he says with a smile. "Oh, I am sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I'm Edward Sr., and this is my wife Elizabeth," he points to a woman who is sitting on my other side.

"Hello I'm…" _Fuck… what is my name again? _

"We know who you are, Bella," the woman says sweetly.

Bella that sounds like a funny name, but it must be mine. I give them a smile. I hope they don't see how confused I am, come to think of it where am I?

"Your name is Isabella, but you like to be called Bella. This here, well, this is the crossroad train station," the man…sorry, Edward Sr. says.

_Fuck… can he read my mind and why does he look like someone I know? Even his name is familiar to me._ I look at him try to work it out, but something just is not right.

"It's the eyes, they're the wrong color," again he has replied to one of my thoughts.

_Maybe I'm talking out loud?_

I look at his eyes – they are brown and have these small yellow flecks. His eyes are very nice, but somehow another color would be better.

"Are you feeling okay, Bella? You've been very quiet. I know this is very strange for you, but don't worry Edward and I are here to help you." I look at her. She is very pretty, in her twenties. She has reddish brown hair and one blue eye, but the other is the green. Green – that's the color of eyes Edward should have.

"My head, leg, and side are sore. I'm a little confused, I don't know how I got here," I tell them. Somehow I know I'm safe with them; they both remind me of someone. Someone important to me.

"Don't worry it will pass, please come with us. We will show you where you are meant to go," at that they both stood up.

Then I feel like my arm has an electric shock, then goes to my face. Again, I can feel it on my arm and hand when I look at my arm, it's sparkling. Edward and Elizabeth take a hold of me and help me up. They began walking with me, one on each side of me.

"Bella, hold on, please. I need to get you to shore," I hear a voice. It sounds so far away. I look around to see who was talking, but can't see anyone.

"Bella, I am so happy to meet you. I have been wanting to meet you for a while now. You are very pretty, but more importantly you have a good heart," Elizabeth says. She loops my arm through hers as we continue to walk to where they are taking me.

"We need to get back in the water, I know it's cold, just hang in there, baby. Okay, I will get us to shore, you just stay with me," I hear the same voice again. I don't think anyone can hear it, except for me. As I look around I can feel the electric charge against my chest.

Then I felt, as if someone is pressing on my chest. The pressure is so hard I place both my hands to my heart.

"What is that?" I ask, as both Edward and Elizabeth look scared.

"We need to move on now. Bella, come on you're going to be fine," brown-eyed Edward says. I could tell he was trying to keep the worry out of his voice, but then he gives me a smirk. _Oh, I know that smirk._ We move again and I still feel the pressure on my chest. Brown-eyed Edward is partly carrying me as we go. It feels like we've been walking forever when the pain stops. Both Edward and Elizabeth look more worried than before, but I smile at them.

"The pain has stopped, it's all gone now." Then it hit me again, but this time it felt different. It felt like I am being hit with an electric shock. Then I feel the same electrical charge running over my body, like I felt earlier. It's the same, but stronger.

"Bella, please come back. You promised not to leave me. Please, I need you."

I know this electrical hum that I feel over my body, and know that voice. My head hurts so much that I can't think straight. My hand goes to my lips, as I feel as if someone kisses me. I get that same electrical shock on my lips and it goes deep into my system, I can feel it all over inside me.

"We need to move we're almost there. Come on, Bella, please, we need to hurry," brown-eyed Edward says. I feel the pull as he starts to drag me along again.

"Fuck! Bella, baby, please fight. Don't leave me, please come back to me girl. You've gotta fight."

"Who is that? Why do I know that voice?" I look around and notice that there's no one around except for the three of us.

"I will not give up on you, Bella. You might just as well come back to me. Come on girl, fight for me. I love you… please," the voice says. I can hear the pain, so much pain. I just want to help that voice. I'm still unsure, but almost if the voice is pulling me to it

"We're here," Elizabeth says, brown-eyed Edward hugs me at the same time as Elizabeth does. They whisper in my ear then smile at me pushing me through the door of the train station.

As the door goes round it all comes flooding back to me, the face, the feeling, the voice; it was all Edward, my Edward. How could I have forgotten him? I need to see him, I need to find him, but it's so dark. I realize my eyes are closed, I make them open. It's so hard, I feel so tired. My head really hurts, but hey, I hurt all over. I open my eyes and see his face. He is close to me, and it feels like he is going to kiss me.

"Edward," I hear myself say his name. His eyes meet mine, and he smiles at me, it the last thing I see as I feel my eyes close again. As my eyes shut, and I slowly sink into the rest my body needs. I hear the sweetest words from the lips of my love. "Thank you, God. I love you, Bella. Stay with me always, my girl…"

**Now back to Edward's POV **

As I bend down to breathe into her mouth again, I hear her voice. She said my name – it sounded low and raspier, but she said my name. I look at her face and see she's looking right at me, she came back to me. "Thank you, God. I love you, Bella. Stay with me always, my girl – you hear me, you stay with me; keep fighting. I love you," I tell her as the EMT pushes me out of the way, to try to stabilize her.

They get an IV in her arm, and start talking in medical terms. I hear them say her blood pressure is low, but better than what it was. They strap up her broken leg, and carry her on a back board toward the waiting FBI helicopter. I never leave her side the entire time.

"Bella, baby, I'm right here. I am right here with you, stay with me, I love you, girl."

Martin runs to me pull me back. "You can't go in the helicopter, Edward, come on, I'll get us there, let's head to the car." He pulls on me, as I turn I can see that he has clearly been crying. I look around to find Grandpa sitting on the ground, with Cole, Jack, and Rose all trying to help support him. I pull away from Martin and run to him, hugging him. I help him up and once he's standing, I hug him again.

"She came back to us, she came back. We have to go now, come on Grandpa. Let's go, so we can be with our baby girl," I say, trying to pull myself together. Not just for Bella, because right now, she needs me to look after her… well, our Grandpa. I put my focus on making sure that he's okay, because he's always there for me.

We arrive at the hospital. I already talked it over with Cole and he made sure to have her under private care and in a private room. I knew I for one would want to stay with her, so would Grandpa. It was all set up immediately; it's really amazing what money can do. And I spare no pennies in making sure that she gets the best of care that money can buy. I will pay anything to have her better.

Bella is now stable, but in ICU, she has a breathing tube for the time being, Grandpa tells them that I'm her fiancé because they were not going to let me in. Grandpa and I let Martin and Jack go to see her first, as they need to do some more paperwork on this. Both of them want to keep busy, and deal with Caius. We found out when we got here that he died in route. They need to do the post-mortem to find the cause of death.

I'm happy that the fucker is gone, but I worried about if it came back that he died because of his head injury Bella gave him, I know she'll take it hard. Martin and Jack spent about five minutes with Bella. I think they both know that Grandpa and I are dying to be with her. As soon as they leave both Charlie and I set up the room up for a long night.

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**A/N: Okay, I didn't leave you hanging, but now I'm back to bed. Let us know what you think of this chapter.  
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	22. Chapter 22

**Only one update today, we will post more tomorrow. The song _Amazed_ was written by: Aimee Mayo, Marv Green and Chris Lindsey, no copyright infringement is intended in our use of this song and lyrics.  
**

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**Chapter 21: Hospital Stay**

**16****th**** of December **

It has been 108 hours that Bella has been unconscious. They had her in a medically induced coma; they started weaning her off it twelve hours ago. Now, we just wait until she comes around. She has some serious injuries— broken left leg, a stab wound to her right side, and every part of her is bruised. The bruising is horrible to see, but she's alive. Her face is so bruised, she is almost hard to recognize.

They were concerned with all her injuries; they even did a rape kit, which thankfully came back negative. I would have brought Caius back to life and killed him again if he had raped her. The hospital is overrun with FBI agents. There are still two more people to be caught, in the initial case against Aro and his family. Until it comes back that Caius was working on his own with the kidnapping of Bella, Jack and Martin are keeping her under guard.

This place has also had a lot of news crews around, waiting on word of Bella and her injuries. Bella became news when Jack put out the Amber Alert. Of course that's distributed to the news stations and now she's in the news all the time. They connected all of the information and now they are also talking about how Bella was part of helping bring down Aro and his shenanigans.

I'm in the waiting room giving Grandpa and Cole some time with Bella.

There are other people in the waiting room – some reading, some praying, and some watching the TV. I vaguely listen as the news comes on. "Good morning, I'm Robert Pattinson. I'm here alone today. My co-anchor Kristen Stewart is over in Forks, Washington, broadcasting live via satellite from Forks High School. I will do a quick recap on what has been happening before going live to Kristen at Forks High School."

As he says before going live to Forks high school, I turn to watch.

"There have been a number of arrests here of late, surrounding the town of Forks and Forks High School. The former principal, Aro Volturi, several of his family members, and close allies are some of those under arrest. It was Aro Volturi himself that had been supplying the students of Forks High with several different types of illegal drugs. There were other teachers involved, as well as an agent of the FBI. The most current incident involving this ring of terror surrounding this town is the brutal kidnapping of Isabella Swan. Confidential reports have stated that Miss Swan was beaten, brutalized, and found on the verge of death. There's no report of her death, and the only report we have been given to date is that she is listed in critical, but stable condition. You may remember the tragic death of her father Phillip Dwyer, former star of the Seattle Mariners baseball team, who died saving the life of Isabella, when the vehicle they were driving crashed into the icy cold waters of the Puget Sound. There's no information of the mother of Isabella Swan, just reports that Renee Swan has been hospitalized for the past several years. We are still waiting on news of how Isabella Swan is doing. Kristen, over to you."

"Good morning, Rob, and good morning everyone. I'm Kristen Stewart, coming to you live from Forks High School, in Forks, Washington. I'm here with Miss Tanya Denali. So, Tanya, what can you tell us about Isabella Swan?" Kristen, who I think is hot, asks. Damn she and Bella have very similar looks. I watch her as she turns and looks at Tanya who's smiling.

"Isabella and I are the best of friends," she sniffs and wipes her eye, as if she was wiping away tears. "She came here five years ago, and I befriended her right away; I tried to look after her the best I could."

Kristen strokes Tanya's arm in sympathy. "What about her boyfriend Edward, what is he like? We keep getting different pictures of him from others. Some say he was involved in her getting hurt? What can you tell me about all of this?"

"You see, Edward and I dated, but Bella fell for him. I mean, what's not to fall for?" Tanya flutters her eyelashes. "Edward is good looking; he has money, and is smart. You know he will take care of you and you could stay at home and raise a family. I was so hurt when I found out that they were seeing each other, but I forgave them. I still looked after her; I was so worried about her. When all the information came out on the drugs, I tried to get her away from it away from my…her Eddie, but she got hurt. It's all my fault," she then breaks down into a great big sob.

Kristen cuddled her. "You mean you stayed friends with her, even after she took your boyfriend? You must be a really good friend."

Tanya looked at Kristen and nodded. "I try to be, but you know he has so much money. I can't compete with that, and you know who her father was. So, I'm just a nobody."

Fucking hell! What the fuck! Shit! Tanya should be an actress. She's really fucking good; she has me almost falling for this bullshit. As I shake my head I see Jessica come into view.

"Oh my god, you're such a liar, Tanya. If you and Isabella are such good friends, then you would know that she likes to be called Bella. As for her dad, no one here even knew that until it was on the News. But, the thing that made me laugh the most was what you said about Edward. Edward has never been your boyfriend, and he cannot stand the sight of you, and never could. You need a reality check – get it through your head that he doesn't want you, and he never will! Edward wouldn't even touch you with a ten foot pole with a condom on it. Bella never took him from you, and he has nothing to do with her going missing. Edward loves her and saved her life; I can't believe you are up here saying this bullshit."

Tanya looks at Jessica then smirks. "I amm...s...s...sorry J...Jess ple….please d…don't hurt me."

Kristen looked from Tanya to Jessica raising her eyebrows. Tanya whispered something to Kristen, but says into the microphone. "She's the school bully. She sleeps around and she's pregnant now. No one even knows who the dad is, but no one can say anything to her because everyone is scared of her."

Jessica starts laughing. "Yes, I'm pregnant. Michael Newton is the father of the child I am carrying. Tanya, you sleep with more people than I ever have in one day. If anyone in America wants to believe you, then they can. At least all of us people who have morals and live in reality, know that you're full of crap."

Mrs. Cope and Mrs. O'Conner come into view.

"Hello, I would like you to remain off of school grounds please. All students get to homeroom class now. Tanya, please head to my office. I have spoken to you about spreading lies and rumors about people. Kristen, if you would like to speak to any more of my students, contact me first. I will ask the parents and give you the names of those people who _know_ Bella and Edward." Her tone was clear that she was saying that Tanya does not know us. Tanya huffed and walked way.

"Back to you, Rob."

"Thank you, Kristen, I think it's clear there is _more_ going on in Forks than what we already know. I'm just glad I'm not going there on holiday."

I shake my head as Rose comes into the room

Lilly told the staff that Rose was her daughter and Bella's other Aunt so that she could get in. Cole has also become Bella's Uncle. I think they know that not all the information on our relationships have been given correctly. But, it's funny what a large donation to the new wing of the hospital will do. It's hard since they are only allowed two in at a time, but we have managed to take turns. Of course, Grandpa and I spend most of the time in there.

"Hey, Edward, how are you doing? I got some coffee and sandwiches for you, made by Ella. She wants you to eat something healthy," she says placing them in front of me and taking a seat.

"Thank you, I'm not sure I can eat anything right now, but Ella will try to feed me again if I don't. I really don't want another day where she tries to feed me and does that stupid airplane shit again."

I pick up and nibble on the sandwich, and look to see Rose trying to stop the laughter from coming out. I glare at her, and she really lets the laughter boom out of her.

"It was not funny, Rose."

"Yeah…it was. Your face was priceless."

I scoff and keeping eating the sandwich. "I had a talk with my Mom; my Dad didn't even pay his taxes. She's losing everything. My Mom got an eviction notice yesterday, I found out this morning before coming here. She has until the end of the month to find somewhere to live. I have…I have told her everything. She's not happy with me, and I don't blame her," Rose stops, looking away from me. "It was really hard to tell her about Royce, but I got through it. She's in talking with one of Cole's colleagues about getting a divorce. We were at Aunt Sarah's when I was telling her. It turns out Jasper is still taking drugs," she tells me.

I turn to her, I'm sure the look of shock is clear. "What the fuck is he thinking?"

She looks at me, and shrugs her shoulders. "Jasper is in a real bad way. I guess they tried to make him quit cold turkey, but it's not working. Alice was over to see him; he got angry and smashed up his room. Alice went into the living room, and he was screaming at everyone. Then he started singling people out, and cussing at them. He told me to fuck off, and that he hated me, as he made his way back to his room. Alice started to follow him back to his room. I went to stop her from going in, but she told me to butt out. He started throwing things around, and then he grabbed Alice begging her to help him get a fix. When she said no…he…he… shit, Edward, he pushed her. He pushed her in the wall."

I froze and just looked at her.

"He started punching the wall next to her head. She got away and ran out of the house, before I could talk to her. Your dad turned up and started him on some stuff to reduce the anger and help him deal with the withdrawals. I don't think Alice will be back, but…"

I shake my head. "I hope she stays away until he's clean. Fucking, shit, Rose, what the fuck! Seriously, everything is going to hell right now!"

She nods, and clears her throat. "I tried to tell your dad the truth, but he ignored me. He only stopped to tell me he didn't care to listen to more theatrics and lies. I swear though, Edward, I really did try." Rose laughs without humor, and I understand how she feels. "I'm really sorry. Would you mind if my Mom stays with me, just until she…well, until we find somewhere to stay?" She looks away from me again, and I know she feels like I have already done too much.

"Yeah, that's fine, Rose," I say. I send a text to Mr. Jeeves to see if he knows of anywhere for them to move to. Rose's Mom has never worked a day in her life. So, I have the feeling this is going to be really hard for them. Helping Rose take care of this gives me something to do as I wait for Bella to wake up.

**17****th**** of December**

We just got word back that Caius had an aneurysm. The combination of the stress of running, and being chased, mixed with the blow to the head is what most likely caused it to burst. We believe that at some point Bella hit him, but her hit alone would not have killed him. His death is being ruled as natural causes, from extreme physical exertion. Basically, the same thing as a _john_ who died fucking a prostitute would be ruled. Aro and Marcus were given the news by Jack, and had to be restrained by the guards.

Cole has been great; he went to the house to get clothes for me and Grandpa. He even brought Edwin back with him, so Bella would have him next to her. I had asked him to pick up my guitar and bring it, too. I spent my free time writing a song for Bella. I've never played it to her, but feel the need to do it now. I make my way back to the room. I need to be close to her again. Cole takes Grandpa down to the cafeteria for something to eat. They are all good about giving me alone time with Bella.

"Hey, baby girl, you need to wake up now. Grandpa's so worried about you. I wrote this song for you. I was going to play it for you at Christmas, but I'm going to play for you now." I pick up the guitar and start playing and singing to my angel.

"_Every time our eyes meet_

_This feeling inside me_

_Is almost more than I can take_

_Baby when you touch me_

_I can feel how much you love me_

_And it just blows me away_

_I've never been this close to anyone or anything_

_I can hear your thoughts_

_I can see your dreams_

_I don't know how you do what you do_

_I'm so in love with you_

_It just keeps getting better_

_I wanna spend the rest of my life_

_With you by my side_

_Forever and ever_

_Every little thing that you do_

_Baby I'm amazed by you_

_The smell of your skin_

_The taste of your kiss_

_The way you whisper in the dark_

_Your hair all around me_

_Baby you surround me_

_You touch every place in my heart_

_Oh it feels like the first time every time_

_I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes_

_I don't know how you do what you do_

_I'm so in love with you_

_It just keeps getting better_

_I wanna spend the rest of my life_

_With you by my side_

_Forever and ever_

_Every little thing that you do_

_Baby I'm amazed by you_

_Every little thing that you do_

_I'm so in love with you_

_It just keeps getting better_

_I wanna spend the rest of my life_

_With you by my side_

_Forever and ever_

_Every little thing that you do_

_Oh, every little thing that you do_

_Baby I'm amazed by you"_

I hear someone sniffing, and I turn to see Rose and Martin at the door. I clear my throat, and turn back to Bella.

"Okay, baby, Martin brought Rose to see you. I'm going to go check on Grandpa, and make sure he's eating healthy. You know what he's like; he's probably eating some cake. I will be back; I'll be back really soon." I kiss her head, then walk out the door. Both Martin and Rose give me a nod, as I walk out. I head to the cafeteria and find Grandpa with some cheesecake in front of him.

"Please tell me you had something proper to eat?" I ask.

He chuckles nodding. "Yeah, I had a Chicken Salad sandwich. You know, you're starting to sound more and more like Bella. How is she?"

"She's the same, but good. I played her the song; Martin and Rose are with her right now." He pats my hand, and I cover his hand with mine.

"Yeah, let's give them a few more minutes with her, before we head back up. You know you need to eat something, too, Edward. What would you like; I will get it for you?"

He goes to get up, but I stop him. "I can get it, Grand…"

"No, I will get it, both of you sit. I will get you another tea, Charlie. Edward, you wanna tell me what you want, or should I surprise you?" Cole asks.

"Surprise me," I say jokingly. Cole was halfway over to the counter by the time I finished what I was saying. "Grandpa, Cole is one fast dude!" I say, chuckling.

"Yeah, he is! It's shocking that he used to come last in the foot races in college." I look at Grandpa, with an arched eyebrow and he nods.

Cole brings back some different sandwiches from which to choose. "I was never last, old man."

Grandpa laughed. "Well, you were never first, Cole."

Cole shakes his head. "I walk around the track once and finished one race in the middle once and suddenly I suck? I just didn't want to show off." I sit and start to eat some of the food Cole got for me, laughing between bites at their banter. We have been sitting here for a short time when Rose runs toward us.

"She's awake! She just woke up, she's trying to talk. Martin stayed with her. I got the doctor before coming to get you, but she's awake!" I sat there looking at Rose. I couldn't grasp what she was saying. "Edward, move, she's awake. I think she was trying to ask for you." Rose pulls me up, pinching my arm hard. It was enough to get me out of my daze. I look to Cole and Grandpa who both have smiles on their faces. I have to control myself, as we head back up. When we reach her room, the doctor is in with her and Martin is outside smiling.

"She asked for both of you. You more than once, Edward," Martin said, while looking at me and Grandpa.

"What – she didn't ask for me?" Cole said, with shock and hurt. He has been great; he always tries to keep things light. The doctor comes out of the room, and walks toward us.

"Bella is looking good; she's breathing on her own. She seems to know where she is, and is able answer general questions. I know that you all want to see her. I will allow all five of you in for the next thirty minutes. After that, you need to go back to the just two at a time maximum. Don't over stress her, and let her rest. If she starts to appear over stimulated then call the nurse, but two leave the room. If she continues at this rate and has a good day and night, I will move her to a normal room, and out of ICU tomorrow morning." Turning to Martin, he continues. "I ask that you and your colleagues not question her for another twenty-four hours. Bella was upset during the examination. She asked for Edward more than once, but we managed to keep her calm to check her over. So, I will let you go in to see her now." He walked away, not waiting for a reply.

I take a deep breath before going in. Martin and Grandpa go in first followed by me. Cole and Rose follow me in, and stand to the back. Bella's face lights up, as she sees each of us. She scans each of us with her eyes and smiles, but after scanning everyone her eyes meet back to mine.

"Hey guys…Edward," Bella lifts her hand when she says my name. I move toward her, picking up her hand and kissing it.

"Hey, baby girl, I have missed you so fucking much." I can't help the tears that run down my face. I drop my head to her stomach, rubbing my cheek on her blanket. I feel Bella's fingers, as she runs them through my hair.

"We all missed you, Bella. You gave us quite a scare there," Grandpa sniffs out.

"I'm sorry; I just couldn't find my way out. I swear I tried," Bella's voice broke.

"Shh…now, Bella, we know you did. You did good girl. Now rest up, so we can get you out of here. I need you to get stronger. Somebody has to take care of these yahoos," Cole says pointing at Grandpa and me. Cole manages to keep his emotions under control as he talks, by using his comic relief.

Rose doesn't say much, but hugs her just a little longer than any of us expected. After we all hug her and all get to see her, we try to get her to rest. Bella starts asking questions, and it almost breaks me when she asks about Caius. I see the fear in her face, when Martin simply tells her that it's okay, that we got him. Bella looks at him, but nods. I catch Bella looking at me sadly with guilt in her eyes. She has nothing to be guilty about, but I think she is worried about my car. I don't give two shits about the car; my girl is my main concern.

Cole goes to leave with Rose, and I stop Rose for a minute. "Hey, Rose, can I have a quick word?" I ask. I walk out with her, standing at the door. I just can't bear to not see Bella, or be close to her, so we stay in the doorway to talk. "I have an apartment two floors above where you're at now. It's three bedrooms, and fully furnished. It will be available at the end of January. I know your mom won't feel good about not paying rent, so I think we could come to sort of agreement. I think $200 a month, including utilities, unless that's too much, is what I will charge you guys. I will get Mr. Jeeves to contact you, so you can pick out the furnishings you want for the place. It will be for you and your mom, for as long as you need it." Rose stares at me; clearly she is stunned by what I'm offering her.

"Edward, we can't do that. The rent in your building is like $1600 a month, and that's just for the smaller apartment I'm in now—"

I cut her off there, knowing I had to nip this now or never. "Rose, I really don't want to take the $200 a month from you and your mother, but I know she will want to pay something. Please, just take this and let me do this for you both. After you and your mom are on your feet, and you want to pay more, we will look at it again. Just take the place, Rose, let me help you and her get back on your feet." Rose nods, thanking me with a nod and hug. Rose walks back in and over to Bella giving her a kiss, and tells her she will see her tomorrow before heading off with Cole.

As Martin goes to leave, Bella asks to have a few minutes with him alone. I pace up and down the hallway, worry coursing through my veins. I know she's safe in there with Martin, but I can't seem to relax. About fifteen minutes later, Martin comes out of the room. Seeing him look at me, I know there's something going on. He shakes his head at me, telling me he can't talk about it right now. Whatever Bella told him is big, my mind goes into overdrive. I'm seriously freaking out, what the fuck did the fucker do to her that we don't know about? I'm so close to going to the morgue to resuscitate the bastard just so I can kill him again slowly. When Grandpa and I get back in the room, it's clear that Bella is worn out, I tell her to sleep promising that I will be here when she wakes up.

Bella sleeps for a short time and wakes around dinner time. Ella and Lilly show up about the same time. Bella asks me to take Grandpa out for dinner, to one of the nearby diners. She wants me to try and get better food into him. The look on her face makes me cave, and do as she asks. I know that Grandpa should eat a good meal. Like me, he pretty much has had just a sandwich for the past few days. Ella and Lilly promise to stay with her, until we return, so Grandpa and I head out.

We are sitting at the table waiting for our food. "I can't believe I almost lost her again," Grandpa says. He stops, as he catches his breath. I move around the table and sit beside him. "You brought my baby Bella back to me. Thank you, son," he says.

I can see the tears in his eyes. "Grandpa, I love her, and I love you, too. I couldn't just let her go – I just couldn't. I don't think I will ever be able to let her go," I say, placing my hand on his back.

"I know, son, I know. I will always be in your debt for that, and for what you did," he pats my other hand. "It kills me that those fuckers were in this town for so long. I grew up here in Forks, and it used to be such a nice family town. The way the town has turned lately, would cause my grandfather to turn over in his grave. I can't believe all of the people who had their hands in the cookie jar." Grandpa stops talking, as the waitress brings us our food. It's clear that the last year has taken a toll on him. So much has happened in this small town over the last five years, and not for the better. We talk some more about what it used to be like when he was a boy. He became upset as he talks about why he wanted to raise his family here. He shakes his head at how much the town has been thrown in the toilet. He gets up after we eat to wash up. I pay for our dinner and give him a hug before we leave.

We head back to the hospital. I'm personally in a hurry to get back to Bella. We get in the elevator, heading to the fifth floor. The doors open on the second floor, and my dad…I mean Dr. Cullen gets on.

"Ah, Mr. Swan, I hear Isabella is awake, how's she doing?" He's in full doctor mode, but does not look at me.

"She's doing well, Dr. Cullen; Edward here saved her life much like he saved Mr. Banner's life. I owe this boy so much. I'm so pleased that Bella and he are dating, she couldn't have chosen a better boyfriend if she tried. He is one of the most caring, and selfless people I have ever met. He will go far in whatever he chooses to do in life. I'm proud to say that my little Bella will be beside him, whatever path he takes. I'm proud to have him as part of my family."

Dr. Cullen frowns at him clearing his throat.

"I am glad she's better," he says and walks out the now open doors. Grandpa pats my back and smiles, as we head off to Bella's room.

**18****th**** of December**

Bella had a good night, and is doing well. She's being moved to a normal room now, and I'm glad. Now both Grandpa and I will be able to stay with her at night. Peter has come into Bella's room to talk to her. I was able to stay with her. She always tells me everything anyway, but near the end she asks me to leave so that she can talk to Peter about something. It scares me a lot, because I know there's something she's not telling me. I'm almost sure this has nothing to do with my car. I just hope that whatever it is, she will open up to me and tell me. The good thing is she is talking to someone about it. I know that Grandpa's also worried about whatever she told Martin, and is now telling Peter.

Martin and Jack came with Garrett to talk to Bella. She agreed to go through what happened with them. "I'm going to record what you say, Bella, it will make things easier. Just take your time, and at any point you can stop, okay?" Garrett asks, and Bella nods in agreement. "So, Bella, can you tell us what happened, from the time you sent the last text to Edward until you woke up here." Garrett sat the recorder down near Bella. You could see the compassion in Garrett's eyes, as he looked at her.

Bella took a sip of her water, and cleared her throat. "I pulled over to text Edward, because it was raining. I hate driving in the rain; it scares me. As I was pulling back out onto the road, a black car passed me. I looked in the rear-view mirror, and I see it doing a U-turn. The next thing I know, it hit the back of Edward's car. I swerved, trying to keep control of the car. But, he kept ramming into me and I lost control. The next thing I know, Caius pulls me out of the car, and he asks where Edward was."

Fuck… he was looking for me! I take a deep breath trying to focus on what Bella's saying.

"Then he hit me, and everything went black. I'm not sure how much time passed, but I woke up to find that he tied up my hands and feet. He was walking back and forth, talking to himself. He told me that I had to pay for what I did. He was hoping to get Edward, but he would settle for hurting me for the moment. He said he knew it would hurt Edward, too, if I was hurt. He hit me a few times, and then started to laugh. He told me he was going to tell me a bedtime story." At this point Bella stopped talking and started to breathe heavily. She looks everywhere, but at me. I move close to her, trying to help calm her down.

"Shh…Bella, it's okay. I've got you; he will not hurt you ever again. No one is ever going to hurt you." I'm hoping that I'm helping her. I listen as her breathing returns to normal, evening out as she relaxes.

"I tell him that I need to pee, he laughed at me, telling me to go ahead." It doesn't escape my notice that Bella has jumped ahead in her story, and I see that Martin and Jack share a look. "Then this deer comes out of nowhere, breaking a twig. He couldn't see what it was, and got scared. When he heard it again he moved forward, away from me. That's when I brought my hands over my head, and laid flat on the ground. There was a large stick the size of a baseball bat in front of me. I took it and when he grabbed me to pull me up, I hit him. I think it was three or four times I hit him. He dropped the knife that he had, and fell to the ground. I grabbed the knife and I cut the ropes on my feet. He started to move before I could free my hands, so I started to run. I fell a lot, and when I fell down an embankment, I stabbed myself.

The next thing I know, I'm at the cliffs. He catches up to me, and he picks me up. I try to get away from him, but he drops me. I remember hitting him with something, and a pain going through my leg at the same time. He picked me back up, and he kissed my head." I noticed she rubs the side of her head, as if to remove his kiss. "The next thing I know, I was in the water. I don't remember anything after that." Bella is still rubbing her head. I know that she is annoyed that he touched her, and so am I. I stop her from rubbing, and kiss her head where she was rubbing. "What happened to Caius, did you get him? Please tell me, I need to know."

Peter sat down next to her, and I hug her from the side. "Bella, when we found him he was unconscious. He died on the way to the hospital. He had an aneurysm that burst," Peter explained. He stops there giving her only some of the information.

"Was it my fault? Did I kill him?" Bella asks, looking right at Garrett.

"No, we looked at his medical records, and it could have happened at any time. He was told about the aneurysm, and was told to not put himself into any type of extra stress. He was scheduled to have surgery the day after Aro was arrested. The combination of the physical exertions of running you off the road, chasing you around the forest and his own stupidity is what caused him to die." I'm pleased that he has made it clear she's not at fault here. The talk has not only wiped Bella out physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Martin, Jack and Garrett say their goodbyes. Peter gives Bella something to help her sleep, then makes his way out as well.

I fall asleep on the chair in Bella's room, while Grandpa is asleep on the cot, next to Bella's bed. Bella's fast asleep and I'm in my happy dream world. I'm enjoying one of my favorite dreams. Bella and I are getting married; she's beautiful walking down that flower-covered aisle. She gives me a sexy smile, as Grandpa places her hand in mine. We exchange our vows, and promise to love each other every day of forever. I lean forward to seal our union with a kiss, and suddenly Bella's shrieking wakes me with a jolt.

I shot up to find Bella still asleep, but curled up screaming. "Stop, please help," she repeats over and over.

Grandpa is up now, too. He's trying to hold her, but her whole body is cringing away from him. "Please Bella; you're fine – you're safe. We are here."

The doctor and a nurse run into the room, "Edward, help please," Grandpa says. I look at Grandpa, and come out of my shock.

I climb into the bed take a hold of Bella. "Shh…Bella, baby, Grandpa and I are here. You're safe, please baby calm down." I rock with her, stroking her hair. "Shh…baby," I keep saying to her. I keep calling her my favorite pet name for her, baby. I feel Bella's body slowly relax, as she curls up into my chest. She's almost on top of me; I just keep talking to her with my soothing voice.

"You have to get out of that bed, Mr. Cullen. You're not allowed to be in that bed with her," the nurse says, looking right at me.

"No, Nurse Hart, he can be there for a short time. He seems to have the ability to calm her without the use of medications. I would rather have him in bed with her, than have to sedate the girl." The nurse huffs and walks out. I nod a silent thanks to the doctor, as he leaves the room. Grandpa pats my shoulder and goes back to his cot; he knows I will stay right here as long as Bella needs me. I kiss the top of her head, and hum to her, as I hold her close to me.

* * *

**A/N: Well at least not all of the hospital staff hates Edward. What do you suppose she needed to talk to Martin about alone? We will post at least two chapters tomorrow, maybe more depends on how things go in our real lives. Thanks for reading and reviewing, Nikky & Kasi~  
**


	23. Chapter 23

**Well here we go. First chapter today.**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Homecoming**

**24th of December **

Bella's coming home today; she has promised the doctor that she would go back on the twenty-seventh for another check-up. He also gave her rules she must follow. He made me promise to help her keep them. One of the main rules is she's not allowed to navigate stairs, or stand for long periods of time.

This upset Bella because her ability to cook will be cut down by this rule. She loves cooking, but for the next five weeks, she can't do much. She was also told that she has to return immediately if her pain level reaches an eight on the scale of one to ten. Overall, the doctor is happy with how she has been healing.

Grandpa gave a press release, along with Lilly, Phil, and Jack. We hope that with her aunt and grandparents on her father's side, and her grandpa and Jack, that it will be enough for them to leave her alone. Bella really doesn't need this on top of what's happening. Cole has a court order as well that will be issued in the event that the press don't keep away. The judge granted it with no questions asked, because Bella is still a minor.

Bella was upset when she saw the news, and keeps apologizing to Lilly and Ella, that Phil's death keeps being brought back up. Both told her that it was not her fault, and their main concern was her at the moment. She was also upset about not being able to hand out the gifts and care packages, but was grateful when I said that I would hand them out for her.

Rose offered to help me, and Bella was pleased to let us do it. We took all the gifts to the hospital, so Bella could wrap them. Once she had them wrapped and had everyone's name on their gift, she had a big smile on her face. It was the first time since waking up that she had a real genuine smile on her face. I know that Christmas is always going to be happy for me, if she is a part of it.

Yesterday, Rose and I handed them out; I was amazed by how many knew Bella and asked about her. The unit children made her a large get well card. Bella cried when she read all the comments from the children and staff. Peter, who has been coming to see Bella, pulls me aside, along with Grandpa. He knows we are worried about her mood changes. She's going from calm to falling apart in mere minutes; it's all very heartbreaking to see. He said that her emotions will be all over the place, and that we were doing the best thing by allowing her to express her emotions. He said to continue to go with whatever she needs at the time. Laugh or cry, just be there to support her.

Peter also told us there was a good chance that Bella would suffer from panic attacks for a while. He explained how to help her through her panic attacks. It kills me to see her in so much pain; she has nightmares nearly every night. Peter's assuring me that they will pass, and that her mind needs time to heal. She still hasn't said anything about what she and Martin talked about, and that's my main concern. I have the feeling that whatever it is, it's what's causing her nightmares.

It's early in the morning, and I'm on my way to my fam… to the Cullen's house. They have not spoken to me, but I have bought them gifts. I also want to get some of my mother's jewelry. There are six things that I want to pick up, all part of one collection. The Blue-Heart Claddagh Collection has been in my family for many years. Starting with my great-grandfather— it has been handed down through the generations. This collection has been in the Masen family for a long time. It always goes to the oldest male Masen in the generation. I'm the only Masen left, so it's all mine. Normally, a part of it does not pass as fast as the rest, because the rings do not pass until death, but since my mother is gone, it's all mine now. There is a necklace, charm for a charm bracelet, earrings and also has a matching engagement, wedding band, and eternity ring. I want Bella to have them all, but will have to keep the rings away for now. I pull up to the house and I wish at that moment that I had called first, but it's too late now as I see my mo…Mrs. Cullen coming out of the house.

"Ahem…cough" I really don't know how to talk to them anymore. "Hello, Mrs. Cullen, I have some gifts for you and your family…and I would also like to collect my Mom's Claddagh Collection. Don't worry, I will stay right here." As she moves to me, I hold out the bag of gifts stepping back as she goes to touch me.

"No, absolutely not, there's no way you are taking that out of here, boy, and giving it to Rose. There's no way." I look up seeing Dr. Cullen has come out to the house, too. Alice and Emmett are standing at the door of the house. I look back to the ground.

_Man up, Cullen. Fuck… that feels more wrong each time I say that name, it's not my name. Hey, stay focused here, the collection, it's ours. He has no right keeping it. _

"With all due respect, I'm planning on giving them to my girlfriend Bella. The collection is rightfully mine, they belonged to my father. They are handed down on the Masen side, and my father gave them to my mom. My mother knew that one day they would become my property; it's clearly in the _Will_ that they are mine completely. It's also my choice to whom I give them. You can go in and get them for me, or I will have a court order by tonight. Then I will have all of my mother's belongings, left to me in the _Will_ removed from here. I only want the Claddagh Collection, and her piano for now. You can keep everything else that's in your home, but I want those things right away. The jewelry I will take now, the piano I will have movers retrieve for me in a week."

He looks at me full of hate. "You are so much like your good-for-nothing father. Bossing people around, throwing money at people, and fucking any and every whore you can get. You can think you're taking what you want, but it's in my house and possession is nine tenths of the law. You want the fucking collection, then I'll get it for you, but there's no fucking way you're getting that piano, boy. That's mine. It belonged to my mother, and I'm keeping it. Emmett, get those pieces of shit jewelry for Mr. Masen here," he barked out the order, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Carlisle, please be reasonable. You know what that piano means to Edward, your mother bought it for Elizabeth. Elizabeth was teaching Edward on it, please just let him have it," Esme pleads.

"NO! NO! NO! He's not fucking taking it— he has to kill me first." Dr. Cullen's face is bright red. I can clearly see the anger in his face, even Esme can and she steps back from him. Emmett comes out and hands me the collection case and walks back into the house. "You got your shit; now get the fuck off my property before I have you removed." His hands are balled into fists, and I can see his chest heaving in his hatred of me.

"I don't know what I did to have you so upset with me," I say sadly. "I get it, I fucked up. More than once, but everything that happened was not just me. You know this because you were shown the proof, you know it was Aro. I really don't get it. I've always been truthful with you. Yeah, I get it; I should have let you in. I should've told you what all I was going through, but I wanted to handle it on my own. It was a mistake to do that. I know you don't see me as family, but I still love you all very much. I will stay away from now on, I promise you that. I get that you don't want me here, but my door will always be open if you ever think of wanting back in my life. I get that she was your sister, Dr. Cullen, but she was my mom and I...I miss her so much."

Holding up the jewelry, "I also know what this meant to my Mom. I know the meaning and importance of what this jewelry stands for. I know what this meant to my family. Long ago, my mom told me about the significance of these jewels and she made me promise I would give it to the girl I would spend the rest of my life with. That girl is Bella; for me there is no one else and there never will be. I have told you all, and so has Rose. But, to be crystal clear once again, I am not seeing Rose!" Lowering my hand that holds the case, I turn and look Dr. Cullen right in the eye.

"As for the piano, Grandma, your mom, bought it for Elizabeth. Elizabeth learned how to play on it, and was teaching me on it. Grandma gave you a piano, too, when you moved out. I don't get why you would keep it from me, it's not even top of the line piano. I want it, because one day when Bella and I have children, I want to teach them on it as well. I have a lot of happy memories on that bench and playing that piano. Well, that's all I have to say – have a good Christmas." I turn around and get in my car, and head to the hospital.

By the time I get there, I'm close to having a panic attack, so I head to see Peter. I know that I cannot let Bella see me like this.

"Edward, is everything okay? What are you doing up here?" I look up to see Peter moving toward me. "Edward, has something happened with Bella, or has Martin talked to you?"

"What? No, she's fine. I went to get some stuff from the Cullens. I sort of had an argument with Carlisle, I don't get why he hates me so much." Peter stands up and takes hold of my arm.

"Come in my office, Edward, and we can talk about what happened."

I spend an hour and a half talking with Peter. By the end, I'm much more relaxed and calm. I make my way to Bella's room, happy to see her. Everyone at home is waiting on us. Lilly and Ella have been cooking non-stop, so Bella can rest when she gets home. The guys have all cleaned the house, and are decorating it. I think Grandpa is regretting letting Cole take charge of the outside decorations; I'm sure you can see it from space.

"Hey baby, how are you this morning? Are you looking forward to getting out of here?" I ask, bending down to give her a kiss before she can answer me.

"Yeah, just waiting on my medications, and for the doctor to sign my release form, then I'm free to go." She gives me smile, but looks right in my eyes. "Edward, what's wrong, you look upset? Has something happened; has Martin talked to you?"

That is strange, both her and Peter asked about Martin talking to me. "What? No, I'm fine. I was upset, but spoke to Peter, so I feel better now. I just dropped off some gifts for the Cullens," I sigh, rubbing my face. "Carlisle and I got into an argument, but I'm fine." She gives me one of her looks, with her eyebrow raised. "Really, baby, I am fine. I'm not going to let whatever's up his ass, ruin my first Christmas with you. I promise I will talk to you or the guys, if I start feeling down. I promise, just let me take you home where you belong."

She nods. "I know the doc will be another hour – what do you think we should do till then?" She asks, giving me her sexy smile.

"Oh, I know something we can do until then." I lightly touch her cheek, and cuddle into her side. Threading my fingers into her hair, I pull her lips to mine. I love making out with Bella, but I will be so glad to get her home and into our bed.

I text ahead to let the guys know that we are on our way home. I pull in the drive and laugh at Bella's stunned face.

"Edward, what in the name of God happened to the house?"

Placing the car into park and turning off the ignition, I smile and say, "Cole happened." I can't keep the laughter at bay when I see her still looking stunned.

"I should have known. The overgrown child that he is, loves this time of the year. Cole has been dying to do this for years, but I have been limiting to him to 1000 lights for the outside of the house. Shit, I wonder how many lights has he put up. He is definitely paying the electric bill this month!"

I chuckle as I walk around the car. I open her car door, and pick her up. "Wait till you see the inside of the house," I laugh again as she lets out a groan.

"Welcome home," everyone shouts, as we enter the house. I don't think I have ever seen Grandpa's house look so crowded. There's Grandpa, Martin, Cole, Jack, Jack's wife, Elle, Sam, Waylon, Keith, Morgan, Poppy, Lilly, Phil, Harry, Sue, Seth, Leah, Bree, Rose, Will and his wife Maggie.

The day is full of laughter and smiles. Listening to Will and his wife banter back and forth is like going to a comedy show; they are great. At one point I lost Bella to Cole, he comes by, picks her up and sits down with her on his lap. I arch my eyebrow at him, but as I went to move her to my lap, he shakes his head at me.

I notice he's watching Morgan, and I put two and two together. I have watched Morgan all day; she seems to have taken a liking to our Cole. I leave Bella on his lap, but laugh and he knows I'm laughing at him.

We all eat dinner, and all the women apart from Bella clean up. We settle into the living room and Bree passes out all of the gifts. After everyone has opened their gifts, and hugs and kisses were shared, our guests all leave. With everyone gone except we, who live here, and Martin and Cole, Bella leans forward and smiles at Cole.

"So, Cole, please tell us, what did Morgan say? I mean it must have been really bad that you would use a poor hurt girl to hide from her." Bella asks mockingly, clearly enjoying putting him on the spot. Martin and I burst out laughing, and Cole actually tinges pink.

"It's not funny, jeez. That girl just does not take _no_ for an answer. Then she started groping me, and I was feeling cheap. I can't believe you find humor in this," Cole says. He's using such a serious tone; it causes all of us to burst out in laughter.

"Hey guys, it's not funny," Cole says.

"Come on, Cole, surely you weren't frightened by some little girl?" Bella says questioningly.

Cole looks right at Bella and shudders, and we all chuckle some more. "Shit, Bella, not only were her parents sitting right there, but so were her grandparents. She asked me to fuck her, she really talks dirty. She's just way too young for me, I mean, if she was older, I would have bent her over the chair and shoved my…"

"Whoa… too much information, Cole," Bella says. She stands up on one leg, pulling me up with her. "We're going to bed, night guys, see you tomorrow."

We leave the room hearing Cole laughing.

I carry Bella to bed, and help her get changed. We decide that we would give each other our gifts tonight. Along with the jewelry, I got Bella a new Phone, an iPod, and some books. I watch her face as she opens the jewelry last. "It was my mom's, but it has been in the Masen family almost 250 years. I want you to wear them." I see a tear running down her face.

"Edward, these are beautiful, really. Can you put the necklace on for me? I can't wait to put this on my bracelet, but it won't be ready to pick up until the twenty-seventh. I'll put the charm on then. Thank you so much. I love all my gifts, but this," she grips a hold of the necklace, "is my favorite."

I kiss her hard on her mouth. I put how much she means to me into that kiss. After a few minutes she pulls back, handing me a bag with my gift in it. I open it to find that she got me music sheet paper with Edward Anthony Masen on it. She told me that she knew how I was feeling about being called Cullen, so she left it off giving me the choice to put it on or leave it off. She also got me a shirt, a few CDs that I have been looking to buy, a new strap for my guitar, and a small box. As I open the small box, I am stunned to find that she bought me a Claddagh ring.

"I saw it and had this urge to buy it. I really didn't understand the pull, until you gave me this," she says holding her necklace.

"I love it and can't believe you got me this, thank you." I smile at her putting it on my right hand ring finger. I made sure that it was on properly to show that I'm taken, and then I pull her close and kiss her deeply. We spend the next few hours making out on our bed, before Bella falls asleep while we are slowly kissing. I know she's so tired, and the medicine makes her more drowsy, so I cuddle her close and go to sleep beside her.

**25****th**** December **

"It's Christmas."

I bolt up when Cole opens the door, looking like Santa. "You got one hour to get ready and be downstairs," he says, giving us a toothy smile and closing the door. I can hear him waking up Grandpa.

"What a wake-up call, shit – what time is it? Shit, someone give Cole some Prozac, please." I hear Bella chuckling next to me at my rant.

"Cole loves Christmas; he's like a kid today. How much do you know about Cole's upbringing?" Bella asks, as she sits up rubbing her eyes.

"I know his family died in a house fire when he was ten, and he was brought up in foster care." Bella gives me a nod.

"Yeah, he met Martin when he was thirteen. Cole hated Christmas at the unit. There wasn't much, just an old ratty looking tree, and the kids would be lucky to get one small cheap gift, if any. When Cole turned sixteen, he started spending holidays here with my family. Renee hated him being here, anything that takes away from her spotlight and all. Growing up, I loved it with him here; he was so excited to be a part of something 'normal.' When I came to live here, he helped me out so much. He knew what it was like to have nothing, then be in a place that gave so much. Not that we have a lot, or have had a lot, but something is always better than nothing. Through the years this has always been his favorite holiday, so we kind of let him go with it and followed on behind him. It's so worth it, seeing how happy he is at the end of the day."

I smile at her, taking her to the bathroom. I sit her down and turn on the shower. I was nominated to help her shower. Bella can't stand up in the shower most of the time with two _good _legs. Now she has one bad one, not to mention broken ribs. I keep my boxers on, and Bella is in a bikini. It's strange I'm able to keep calm and help her wash, because any other time the thought of her body in my hands has me hard. Rose took on the job at the hospital, because Bella couldn't get in the shower with any of the female staff. It was just too much of a confined space for her to be in with a stranger.

With our showers done, we are dressed and downstairs with five minutes to spare. We find Cole bouncing on his seat looking at his pile of gifts. His whole demeanor is changed today, he's like a child. Bella smiles at him, when he looks up at us. Cole quickly gets up and comes over giving Bella a kiss and hug. The he hugs me and wishes us both a Merry Christmas.

"Merry Christmas everybody," Grandpa says coming in with Martin behind him.

After we eat breakfast and open gifts, we settle down and watch movies. Cole is really enjoying himself today and has an innocence about him as he puts in one happy Christmas movie after another. I excuse myself to the kitchen, to get Bella her medicine and something to drink. When I come back in, Cole has turned on some music and has Bella up, on his feet twirling her around the room. She's still over a foot shorter than he is. She looks like a child dancing with her dad. I can't help but laugh at the scene.

After a few minutes, I put her medicine and drink on the table. I move closer to where Cole is dancing with Bella, and tap him on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" I ask, giving Bella a smile and bow.

"Sure you can," Bella says stepping away from Cole. As I go to take her in my arms, she is grabbed by Martin, and Cole grabs me. The next thing I know, I'm dancing around the room with Cole.

"I knew that you've been dying to dance with me," Cole says giving me stupid smirk. I shake my head, and realize that I have taken on the female part in the dance.

"Why of course, Cole, but why the hell I'm dancing the female part?" I ask in the most feminine voice I've ever spoken in. It was almost a funny thing to say in that tone, but I'm still kind of wondering what the deal is.

"Well, I'm better looking, older, and taller than you there Smurfette. So, you have taken the girl part, plus you're kind of sounding like a girl, too. So, come on partner, follow my lead," he stops smirking. Suddenly, he grabs my ass. "Ass up, that's better," he smiles.

"Hey, Cole, leave my ass alone, and I'm 6'2 and not blue so I can't be a smurf."

He pouts at me, but I can see it's fake. "Well, I can see why Bella likes you so much. You've got strong arms, and a great ass," he says patting it as he turns me around.

"Jeez, Cole, stop with the ass…" I stop, when I hear laughter. I turn to see Bella lying on the floor holding her sides laughing, right beside her is Martin.

She stops and calms herself enough to speak. "Should I be worried about this?" She asks, waving her hand at me and Cole. I quickly move away from Cole, as Bella and Martin continue laughing.

"I'm secure enough in my masculinity, that I'm able to dance with a guy. Oh, and by the way, I am also bisexual. But, I don't know about your girlfriend here, Bella," Cole replies before I get a chance to.

I growl at him causing him to act flustered. I shake my head at him, and shrug my shoulders looking at Bella. "He wanted to dance with me, who am I to deny him that privilege?" I help her up, and pull her close to me.

"That was great, I can't believe you kept dancing with him," she sniggers out. Her thoughts got the best of her, and she busted out laughing some more. "Ow…okay no more laughing," she says holding her side. She looks like she's in pain, so I make her sit.

"I would say that's what you get for laughing at me, but I won't because you're hurting. And I hate seeing you hurt," I say as I get her the medicine I had out for her.

"You _do_ get that you did just say it to me, right?" She asks, looking me in the eye trying hard not to laugh again.

"Yes, smarty, here take these," I say handing her the pills and drink. Bella takes her pills, and drinks the whole glass of water I brought her. Grandpa comes back in the living room, makes his way over to us and asks Bella to dance.

I look over and see Martin and Cole are messing around, dancing a strange version of the waltz. It's funny – they are almost marching in and out of the rooms. I watch as Grandpa dances with Bella, and Cole starts taking pictures. Martin comes over, grips me for a dance and he explains that Cole was keeping Bella busy as Grandpa called Renee. He thanked me for going along with dancing with him, even if I didn't know what was going on. I give him a nod, and look to see Cole and Bella dancing again, and Grandpa is taking pictures.

"We are so much better than them at dancing, don't you think dear?" Cole asks Bella, in a snooty tone.

"Oh, right you are, dear. Look at those arm lines, not good at all," Bella says, copying his tone.

At that Martin and I share a strange look, and pull ourselves up. Suddenly, we are all trying to out dance the other. The next few hours go past like this—we each take our turns dancing with Bella, and each other. It was so funny seeing Grandpa and Cole dancing together, this has been a great day.

**28****th**** December**

Bella's check-up went well yesterday, they don't need to see her again for another ten days. We picked up her bracelet, and Bella put the charm I gave her on it right away.

Bella and I are hanging out on the couch, and the doorbell rings. I go to answer it, and I'm surprised to see Jessica at the door.

"Hi, Jessica, come on in," I say. I move out of the way to let her in, and walk with her back to Bella.

"I'm so glad you're okay. I was so worried about you. I'm leaving tomorrow, first thing to go to my Dad's. I wanted to thank you again, Bella. I also wanted to say goodbye," Jessica says. I motioned for her to have a seat and she sat down on the seat across from us.

"There's no need to thank me. How's the little bean doing anyway?" Bella asks, giving her a smile, a real heartfelt smile.

"He's doing great, well, I mean doing well so far. Would you like to see him, I had a sonogram yesterday?" Jessica says as she pulls a small photo from her bag. Bella nods and takes the offered photo from Jessica.

"Oh, wow, Jessica, this is so cool. I so happy everything is okay. How's your mom about you leaving now?"

Jessica looks at us for a few minutes. "Well, with everything that has happened with the Newtons, Tanya and her parents, not to mention what went down at school, she's selling out. She's moving to New York, too, so she's going to follow me in a month or so. I can't wait; my Dad got her a job in his office. She will be working two floors above him, so she won't have to see him very much. But, this little thing," she says rubbing her belly, "has brought them together. They can actually be in the same room without trying to kill each other." Jessica smiles and I know that she is relieved things are better for her parents.

"Jessica, that's great. I'm so pleased that things are looking up for you."

Jessica looks around a bit, and starts to fidget. "Bella, I would like to give you my e-mail and Skype address so we can keep in contact with each other, is that all right?"

Bella nods, and asks me to get a pen and paper. I watch as she writes her e-mail address and Skype information down for her. Jessica writes hers down and hands it to Bella as well. Jessica says her goodbyes and leaves saying she heading to see Angela and Alice.

It's late in the afternoon when my car insurance company calls saying that a check has been sent out and I should get it in the next few days. After I get off the phone, I sit with Bella.

"Hey, do you think we could go car shopping tomorrow? I would like to get a new car. Lilly is cool with it and says to give her a call with the amount for the purchase price. She said with that and the link to the dealer, she'll pay for it out of my account money. I've never been to a new car dealership before, so really, I don't know what to do. I'm kind of scared to take Martin and Cole with me," she says.

I give her a big smile. "Yeah, you really don't need to take a lawyer and the FBI with you to buy a car," I say. "You really want me to go with you?"

"Well, I would really like you to help pick one out. I also want you to deal with the car dealer, I don't…just know, but I feel panicky. Think about sitting down with any guy that I don't know right now…Peter says that it will pass in time, just to not get myself into a place where I would panic. He says that would make things worse, so if you come with and handle it, then I know I'll be fine. Besides, you know I don't get all that car mumbo-jumbo anyway."

Even just being there with her would be great for me. Knowing that she is placing herself in my care, putting me in charge makes me feel that warmth inside me. She knows of my Dom nature, and she is a submissive by nature. Her doing this is like giving me another piece of her. I can't get the grin off my face. I love the fact that she's letting me do this. She knows how I feel about safety, also how much I loved doing this sort of stuff for her.

"Is that okay?"

"Yes, my little one. It's more than fine, it's great. Thank you so much for letting me do this for you. I will help get you the perfect car," I say kissing her forehead. I was really wishing she would just let me buy it, but I know not to say anything because of how much she just gave me.

"What about you? Are you getting another Volvo?"

"Yep," I say. "I'm getting the exact same one – everything will be the same. There's no need to get another type of car, when I know the perfect one for me."

**29****th**** December**

We got a ride to Port Angeles, and are at our third car dealership of the day. The first one had some slime ball there that had seen Bella on the news. He thought that it would be a good idea to not only ask about her dad, but also what happened to her. Bella's face paled as he asked her an average of thirty questions in less than a minute. Even after I tried to get us away, he tried to touch her. Then I lost it and hit him square on the nose. The manager ran out trying to get me, and threatened to call the police.

An off duty police officer came over saying he heard and saw the whole thing. He pulled the manager aside, and told him what really happened. The salesman kept saying things about suing me, but all words stopped when the manager came up and begged me for my forgiveness. I gave him a curt nod and left. The second was a total rip off, and they thought they could get over on me. We left when they could not get it straight that I was not a dummy, and that brings us here.

After looking at a lot of cars we settle on a Nissan Sentra. It's powder blue, and I get them to throw in many different extras for free. She calls her grandma and has her transfer the money. I take it for a decent drive, before we leave in it together. We get the insurance cards to show proof of insurance and we are free to leave. I must say, her car runs very nicely.

We arrive back home in the late afternoon and are greeted by Jack, Martin, and Cole. "Hi, nice car, Bella. Almost as nice as mine," Cole says to Bella helping her out of her jacket. Martin reaches out his hand to stop me from taking mine off.

"Edward, how do you feel about going somewhere with us for a little bit? Grandpa is here, and so is Rose," Martin says. I look up to see Rose give me a sad smile, and suddenly Bella's visibly upset. I know that Martin has made it sound like he's asking, but I have a feeling he's not.

"You okay, baby? I'll be back soon, okay?"

Bella nods into my chest, I hug her tighter. "Please remember that I'm sorry, and I love you so much," she whispers. I kiss her on the head and walk out with Cole, as I see Martin hug Bella whispering in her ear. I know for a fact I'm going to be told whatever Bella has been keeping from me. Now I know, I'm not going to like whatever it is.

The car journey does not take long; I'm surprised to find that we are at the hospital, heading for Peter's office. As I enter the room, I look at my friends: Jack, Martin and Cole, each have the same sad look on their face. I'm about to ask what's going on as Peter walks in.

Jack clears his throat, looking at the floor. "Edward, before I tell you what's happening, we want you to know that we are all here for you. We will always be here for you, as long as you need us. Okay?" I give them a nod. "As you already know, Caius told Bella something when they were in the woods. She had told Martin and she has wanted to tell you, but couldn't find a way. I…well, we all convinced her not only let us tell you, but to also have it checked out first to see if he had told her the truth." He stops looking down to the floor, raising his eyes to meet mine.

This is scaring the shit out of me. "Guys, please just tell me what he told her, please."

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**A/N: Well Carlisle is quite a piece of work now isn't he? So the next chapter is Edward learning what Caius told Bella in the woods. Some of you have made guesses and some of you have hit the nail on the head. The next chapter will post yet today, but real life calls too, so be patient please. Thanks for reading and let us know what you think. **


	24. Chapter 24

**This is the final post for today. Don't get upset because the rest of the story chapters 25-31 will post over the next three days. Our goal is to have this whole story posted in order to start posting out new story called Family Business on the 20th, in honor of Jess2002's birthday. Family Business will wrap and all chapters of it will be posted by August 25th, her wedding anniversary. We hope to see you all there for that one it will be interesting to see what you think of dear Edward in it for sure.**

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**Chapter 24: Pieces of The Past**

**29th of December**

Jack clears his throat. "There's an alliance of Mob families called 'La Fratellanza'. That roughly translates to 'The Brotherhood'. The brotherhood is based out of Italy. They consist of ten different families from around the world. They work as a collective group – all decisions are discussed mutually. All income is combined; no one can make a merger, a call, or start a new business without holding a vote. Voting is by family order, starting with the first family. Each family has one vote, per male adult over the age of eighteen. Money is distributed out a little differently, not just a simple equal split. The top family, known as the alpha family, gets a twenty percent cut off the top. The second family known as the beta family then gets a fifteen percent cut off the top. The third place family, known as the delegate family gets a ten percent cut off the top. The remaining fifty-five percent is then split equally among all of the families. The Volturi family is the fourth family in the allegiance."

_Wow, I mean wow. This is pretty fucking scary; does this mean that Bella is still in danger? Fuck, shit this is big! How the fuck are we going to take on the brotherhood, made up of ten mob families?_

"The Volturi brothers decided to come to America to try and obtain more power. They wanted to become the beta of the Alliance. They arrived here sixteen years ago, and began their campaign. Of course the other families in the Alliance knew of their intent and kept an eye on them. The current beta family was most concerned. Not wanting to lose the place as one of the top families, they were very watchful."

_Fuck, I am not surprised about that. Well…maybe I am though. I would think Aro would want to be the alpha._

"They started off with human trafficking, and slowly built up a ring here. At first they split off and went to different parts of North America. Marcus went to Los Angeles; Caius based himself out of Canada, and Aro chose Washington. About thirteen years ago they got word that the beta family had some family within America already. This prompted Aro to get the three of them to move closer to each other. They all came together and moved to Chicago."

_Okay, I didn't see this change in direction coming._

"You see Caius was teaching in a high school in Chicago, he worked at the same school as your mom."

_What! No! Why did I not know this? _

"Aro was the vice principal in one of the nearby schools, and Marcus worked within the FBI headquarters. The brothers were not as careful as they should have been."

Jack sighs and rubs his hand through his hair, taking a deep breath he starts talking again.

"We still have to confirm this information, I'm not sure we will ever be able to fully confirm it. The story goes your mother called in and reported them. We aren't sure how she found out, but she claimed they were dealing drugs to minors and trafficking of humans. Unfortunately, the person who took her call was Marcus."

_No, no, no, no. Oh, god! No, my chest feels so tight, why are the walls closing in on me? Shit, I can see black spots everywhere. _

"She had a lot of information on Caius. We don't know when her first phone call came in, but we do have her last call. It was a random selected call that was recorded. The call was stored away; we found it in the past week. It should have been checked when it was first made. I can't tell why it was overlooked, but someone fucked up."

_She knew? Please don't let this be going where I think it is. I close my eyes, and try to breathe slowly. But I can't slow down my chest, it feels so tight and I have black spots affecting my vision. _

"The call was the morning before she died. She and Marcus were in a heated argument, she was getting upset about how it was taking so long for them to do anything. He lied to her telling her that he had to wait on the go ahead. We have reason to believe that they were waiting on the okay for the kill."

_It's almost as if someone flipped a switch, I close my eyes and I was back in my childhood home. _

"_Edward, I need you to go to the special room, you need to stay there. Don't come out no matter what. I will come and get you," she gives me a hug and pushes me through the small door. _

"_Mommy, please, I'm scared," I plead with her to come with me. They knock at the door and she turns toward it._

"_Please, Edward, remember that I'm so proud of you and I love you. Just wait for me okay? I will be there soon," she says closing the door and moving the toy box back in front of it. I crawl through a narrow passage, jumping down when I arrive at our special room. I sit on my chair and wait for her. It feels like a long time has passed and she's still not here, I can hear people talking. The voices get clearer as they move toward the room that I'm in. I get scared and move back away from the door and I hear the voices._

"_This is what happens to whores who stick their noses where they don't belong!" There is a loud bang. Then as if someone is clapping their hands together, I hear more loud noises. It happened a few more times, and then I hear what sounds like someone dropping a lot of plates. _

"_You know what is sad?" The man's voice asks. "You've got such a pretty face. It's a shame I am going to fuck it up. Don't worry I'm sure they can have a closed casket for your funeral. Then again, I may just burn you alive, then there will be no body to put in the ground." I can hear him laughing, he thinks what he said is funny._

"Edward, calm down, it's Peter and you're in my office in Port Angeles. Jack, Martin, and Cole are here, too, I need you to take some deep breaths for me. There you go, that's it, Edward, in and out nice deep breaths." I open my eyes slowly, trying to get my breathing back to normal.

"Keep going, Jack, please," I say looking at him pleadingly.

"Edward, maybe you've had enough for now—"

"Jack, please, I need to get through this. I want to know, I need to know. I'm fine, I promise, please," I beg, cutting him off. I sit and wait for him to tell me, regaining my breathing and trying my best to look normal.

Jack looks at Peter, and Peter turns to me. "Edward, I'm going to let him continue, but I will stop this if I feel it gets to be too much for you. You need to try and stay calmed down for us," Peter says. He's using the voice that I know so well, it tells me it is his way only, no other decisions will count. I give him a nod and do my best to stay calm.

After a few minutes Jack starts telling the story again. "It was in this call that she told Marcus about the files she had. She had copies and was taking everything and going to the newspapers with it. Marcus destroyed everything she gave him the first time, making sure nothing could be traced back to him and his brothers. We believe that after getting off the phone, he called Aro. Aro chose not to wait for approval, and set up the kill. He thought if he did it himself then it would be more easily kept under wraps. He was hoping that doing it alone would keep it away from the rest of the Alliance."

Peter interrupted Jack to ask if I was okay. I gave him the affirmative and he motioned for Jack to continue.

"Marcus and Aro came to your home around six pm. Your mother had met Marcus before, but since she asked you to hide we believe that she didn't completely trust him. Marcus introduced Aro as his partner. We know there were two others outside, but to our knowledge they never entered the home. We believe they tried to get your mom to tell them where she put the copies of the files, but she wouldn't tell them. Around seven o'clock, Caius arrived home with your dad. At this point they all believed that you were at a friend's house.

We're unsure about what happened over the next five hours, we only know that they didn't find out where she hid the copied files."

How? Why? How would they know that? "We found it; it was hiding in the room you were in. There in a safe," he answered my question I was asking inside my head.

"Why did the other police not find it? How could they have missed it? If they had, they could've been put away for this a long time ago."

"Just like the room it was hidden in, your father paid a lot of money to have the room stay well hidden. He had it removed from every piece of paper, including blueprints of the home. The people who live there now didn't even know it was there. I went to the house myself, and it took me three hours to find it. I think I only did because you had talked to me about where you were. I had a feeling once I was in the room, I'd find it. It was very well hidden, and there is no reason I would have thought there was anything there at all. It took the best part of the day, but I got in the safe, too. There was a letter for you in the safe as well as the folder. I have the letter with me."

I look right at him, when he stopped talking for a minute. He has a note for me from my parents? I become closer and closer to losing my shit. Before I can think about this letter, I just want this other shit over with first. I motion for him to carry on, I want it all now, get it done and over with.

"After your parents were murdered, Aro was summoned back to Italy. As he was the oldest and took it upon himself to act out, he was the one they punished. Aro was kept in Italy for the next six years. As for his family, they had to take a twenty-five percent cut, during this time. Aro was not happy, but his punishment stood. It turns out the reason it was taking so long for the Alliance to approve the hit, was because your dad had contacted the top family. He asked them for a reprieve for him and his family, in exchange for the information. Due to the size of his business, he was granted the reprieve. That same afternoon Aro killed him and your mother, without approval. It's unclear if Aro was aware of this, or not, but he was told after he was summoned home to Italy. Aro blamed your mom and dad for his and his family being punished. He was allowed to return to America after six years. He got a job at Forks High School."

_Isn't that just ironic?_

"When Aro met you there, we believe he did not know who you were at first. We think he just thought of you as a punk kid, who was seeking attention. We have reason to believe that about six months later, Carlisle and he got talking in a bar. We figure Carlisle told him about your past, and that made him realize who you were. Then it dawned on him that you were in fact in the house the night of the murders, and that you very well could have heard it all. We think that is when he decided you should pay for the punishment, he and his family received over the killing of your parents."

_Because killing my parents wasn't punishment enough for me as a child?_

"He started planting things on you, but that was not enough. He was worried that you would somehow figure it out, so he needed people to _believe_ that you were a troublemaker, so he made you look like a liar, and a troublemaker. He made it look like you would do anything to save your own ass, all others be damned. He even started meeting Carlisle once a month to have drinks together. Aro knew how much he had to push, to get him to throw you out of his house. Aro tried to get you and Rose together by threatening her dad. When that didn't work, and Rose couldn't get your attention, he did all he could to plant the seed of doubt in Carlisle's mind. Aro then spoke to Mr. King, and struck deal there. This is why Royce went after Rose, but kept it all on the down low. Planting the drugs on you was the last push that he needed to get you pushed out of the family. He was starting to set everything up to look like it was you that was the head of the drug ring."

_What?Fuck! It's always been him, everything was him! Fuck. Shit, I feel myself rocking back and forth. I can hear people saying my name, but I can't focus on what they are saying. It was me; it was always me they were after. All the people who got hurt, it was all because of me. I feel like the room is shaking. _

"Edward, you need to calm down or you are going to pass out!" Peter is holding my arm. I can't focus on him because he is moving, and he looks really blurry. I gain a bit of myself, and hit his hand off my arm.

"CALM DOWN!? WHAT THE FUCK? HE JUST TOLD ME THE PEOPLE WHO INVADED MY CHILDHOOD HOME, AND BEAT MY MOM AND DAD TO DEATH, NOT TO MENTION SHOOTING THEM, HAVE BEEN IN MY LIFE FOR THE LAST SIX FUCKING YEARS!" I jump up and start walking around the room; I can't seem to lower my voice. "I FAILED THEM! THEY WERE THERE AND I DID NOT EVEN KNOW. HOW FUCKING SICK IS THAT? MY UNCLE SEEMS TO BE BEST FRIENDS WITH HIM. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THIS. FUCK, I DON'T CARE WHAT HE DID TO ME, BUT THAT FUCKER USED ROSE TO HURT ME. TO TRY AND TAKE AWAY MY FAMILY, FOR IT, SHE WAS ALMOST RAPED. HOW CAN I LOOK AT HER KNOWING THAT IT'S ALL MY FAULT?! WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THEM, WHAT ABOUT…Bella," as soon as I say her name all the anger is gone. My voice is now quiet, and starts to waiver. "Bella is my life, and I love her so fucking much. He hurt her; he made Jacob hurt her because of me. It was me Caius was after; he thought I was driving the car. He wanted me," I say as I drop to the floor. "It's all my fault," I sob out. "Oh, God…everything that has happened is because of me." I'm not sure if they can understand me anymore with the sobs ripping out of my chest.

"No, Edward, none of this is your fault. It was all them, not you. No matter what, Edward, you are the true innocent in all of this. None of this was your fault, you have to believe that. I have never lied to you, and I will not start now. You are not to blame," Cole says, sitting behind me holding on to me.

"Bella knew this is why didn't she tell me?" I choked out, asking through my sobs.

"The day Bella woke up, she told me what she could. I couldn't make out all of what she said. I managed to get a few clear words from her that day. Those words were—'they killed Edward's parents.' It took her four more days to tell me everything Caius said to her. I'm sorry I misled her; I told her that there was a chance that he was saying it to upset her. Unfortunately, it was clear that what he told her was the truth. We told her that we would get all information first, and make sure we had all the facts before we told you the truth. Once we knew it was the truth, we knew we had to tell you. Most of Bella's nightmares have been about the descriptive way Caius told her about the murder of your parents. With Bella talking in her sleep, we knew we needed to tell you now, then let you hear a bit and piece here and there. Caius gave her quite a graphic description of what they did," Martin says as he sits next to me on the floor.

"He wanted me – he thought that I was in the car? How can she stand to look at me knowing this? She was hurt because of me. All because of my past, she got hurt. She almost died, and it's all because of me." I look to the floor unable to look at any of them in the room.

"Edward, it looks that way from the information we have, that he was looking for you. But, Bella has only been scared that you will hate her for not telling you. She's having panic attacks about whether or not to tell you. That's why we said that we would tell you. She did know she couldn't tell you, until she was able to tell us. She finally told us everything he told her; it was so hard for her to get it all out. We assured her we would tell you and be here for you. She's worried you will hate her, because she didn't tell you right away. We promised her we would bring you back to her safe and sound," Martin says as he places a hand on my shoulder.

Jack takes a seat at the other side of me on the floor, and Cole is still sitting with me, still holding me. I'm still shaking, but not as badly as before, and Peter is now in front of me. "She thought that I would hate her? I could never hate her, I…I…I love her, I want to marry her. I could… would never hate her," I stammer out.

"We know, we told her you would not hate her. She's just scared; she knows how deeply learning all of this would hurt you," Peter says. The professional tone he was using before is now gone, this is my friend Peter talking. I look around at the four guys with me, and I know for the first time I'm not alone. I feel something missing, and know it's Bella. Now, I just want to get back to her. I need to show her that I _am_, that we _are_ okay.

"Okay, how do I deal with this? Is Bella still in danger from the other family? Am I in danger? If Bella's with me, will it cause her more danger?" I ask, looking at Jack for the answers.

"No! The other family has washed their hands of them. They have even faxed us a lot of information on them. As far as they are concerned, you are still under the reprieve with them. We are unsure what your father gave them, but because of it you're still under the same reprieve. The family has washed their hands and cut all ties with Aro and his family, because Aro knew of the reprieve and still went after you. He did more than one thing wrong, not only did he go against the family yet again, but he went after a minor. None of the families in the Alliance agrees with hurting a minor. The Alliance had already been on the brothers about the human slave trading. Aro was supposed to have disbanded that, and he never did. Aro was a greedy man, and he would use or harm anyone to further his income. The Alliance means you no harm, so don't worry about them."

The next few hours pass, and I feel like an emotional train wreck. I have been alternating being angry, sad, crying, yelling, and laughing. My emotions are all over the place. I have seen pregnant and premenstrual women, not be as all over the board as I am.

In the end I feel emotionally drained, and Martin and Cole take me home. When I get there, I find Bella curled up on the couch. She looks pale and almost scared, as I take a seat next to her. She looks right at me, and I can see she's trying hard not to burst out crying. "I'm so, so, sorry, please," she says. I grab her pulling her into my arms, and hug her.

"I love you so much. I'm not going to say that I'm okay, because I'm far from it, but I will get through this with you by my side. We have our amazing family here to help us, too; it's going to be okay. I understand why you didn't say anything, if the shoe was on the other foot, I would have done the same thing. Baby, you did the best thing you could, you did the right thing." I hold her close to me, not wanting to let go. After a bit, I move and we are both now lying on the sofa together. While we are watching TV together, I keep her pulled tight to my side.

On the way home Martin had asked me if he could tell Grandpa and Rose everything, I said that it was fine as long as Bella and I didn't have to hear it. I really didn't want to go through it all again. Jack told me they were arranging a meeting with Esme and Carlisle tomorrow. He asked if I would like to go, too, I just looked at him shaking my head. I know that it's not Carlisle's fault about what Aro did, but I feel so angry at him for his immediate distrust of me. Also, I'm scared or maybe a coward. Whatever you call it, I would rather stay away, just in case this still doesn't change shit and they still hate me.

I'm not sure how long we have been lying here when Cole and Rose come over to us. Rose bends down and hugs Bella; I can clearly see she has been crying. I look away not wanting to see how much hurt she's in because of me. Then I get a surprise, she leans over and hugs me, too.

"If you are going to blame yourself for their shit, then I'm going to have to kick your ass. Those jerk-faces, they did all this shit, not you. I'm here if you need me, and look after her," Rose says pointing at Bella. "She has not eaten anything at all this afternoon."

I hug her back. "I'm so sorry, Rose."

Rose stands up and looks right at me. "Don't make me break one of my nails hitting you. Get it through your thick skull, Edward; it was not your fault. Aro is to blame; he and his dipshits are to blame for all of this. You saved me; you both did, in more ways than one. I blame my father; he's the one that sold me out, not you. I'm going to go and sit in your car, Cole; I need to fix my face for the ride home." Cole hands her his keys, and she leaves the house.

"You got my number if you need me. Call me; I will be right here. I love the both of you; keep an eye on each other." Cole says as he kisses Bella's head and my forehead, too, he winks as I wipe away his slobber.

The night goes by quickly, and Bella pushes her food around more than eating it. Normally, I would call her out on doing that, but since none of us seem to eat much, I keep my mouth shut. There's a part of me that wants to know what he said to her, but there's a bigger part that doesn't want to put her through telling me. I also really don't want to know what they did; the things I already know are bad enough.

I lay awake unable to sleep. After tossing and turning I decide to head downstairs to sit at the kitchen door and have a smoke. I have been here smoking for about ten minutes, when I hear a high-pitched scream. I throw the cigarette on the ground, and run in the house.

"No, no, Edward! Where are you? Please, Edward! Please, stop help." I hear Bella screaming. I move as fast as I can. I take the stairs two at a time, and burst into our bedroom. I see Bella thrashing on the bed crying, but still asleep. "Please help, please, Edward. Where are you, please help."

Unable to stand it, I jump on the bed and I pick her up. Pulling her completely onto me, I hold her and rock her back and forth. "Bella, I'm here, it's okay. I've got you." She stops shouting out, but is still whimpering. "You're safe, okay, baby? Come on my love, you're safe. Wake up for me, come on baby girl, wake up for me, you're safe. I've got you now, I love you, baby."

After a few minutes Bella stops moving and I hear her heart rate slowing down. Her breathing is returning to normal, and about four minutes later she wakes up. She hugs me as close as I am holding her. "I'm sorry, so sorry. I didn't mean…"

I kiss her on the head cutting her off, by placing my finger over her lips. "Sh…baby it's okay, I'm here, I love you."

She moves a little, so I can see her face. "But, I meant to be here for you, I…."

I pull her head towards mine. "Bella we are here for each other, like we have been from the beginning of this school year. As far as I am concerned, we always will be. Now hush, baby, let's just hold each other as we go back to sleep," I say.

She nods and slides down on the bed and lies half on top of me. I hear our door close realizing that Grandpa must have come in after Bella started screaming. "I love you," she says as I kiss her head.

"I love you, too, Bella, we will make it through this, I promise you that we will."

**30th of December**

I feel so wired today. I can't seem to sit down for more than a minute at time. I head over to look out the window for the thousandth time today. I'm looking for any sign that Jack and Martin are back. I wish I could just shut my brain off for a little bit. I sigh as I see no sign of them, and turn just in time to have a pillow hit me. "What the fuck!" I throw the pillow back on the couch.

I look at Bella who is now biting her bottom lip. "Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't think you would turn around, I've been calling your name."

I look at her and sigh, and go sit beside her. "I'm sorry baby. I just… argh. I just want to know how it's going. I'm so worried about how they're going to take it." I pull at my hair, and go to get up again, but Bella pulls me back.

"Can you help me upstairs, please?" I smile at her and give her a kiss before picking her up and carrying her upstairs. I place her on the bed, and stand up as she grabs my hand.

"Lie with me, please?" She asks, giving me a pleading look. I nod and move to stretch out beside her. Almost right away I start to fidget as my mind goes into overdrive.

Fuck – where are they, they said that they should be here at about four o'clock. What time is it now? Fuck, it's just about three now, shit… time is going so slow! Maybe I should have manned up and went—

My inner thought is cut off by Bella kissing my jaw line. She has arranged her body so that she is straddling me. I look up at her seeing she's taking not only her top off, but her bra. God, her breasts are perfect, I don't even take time to think about it as I kiss her right breast and palm her left. I listen as she moans my name, as I pinch one nipple and suck the other one. Her hands are on my chest and she rubs them up and down pulling my tee up. I let go of her breasts as I sit up pulling enough to pull it over my head. I turn her so that she is now lying back on the bed. I know her leg will be less sore this way. I go to speak, but Bella pulls my face toward her and starts kissing me again. My hands go straight back to her breasts. I suck on her nipples alternating between the two. The moaning she's doing is sending my libido into overdrive. I kiss her body not wanting to leave any part out, as my hand moves down her body. I slowly move my hand down the outside of her leg and even slower back up the inside.

"Fuck! Bella, I fucking love you." I look at her, and I see the love she has for me. I feel her love in everything she does for me and to me.

"I love you, too," she says. As I go to kiss her again, I hear the front door close and Martin and Jack's voices drift up the stairs. I look at the clock on the side of the bed, it saying its twenty-five after four. Bella and I have been making out for an hour; it only felt like ten minutes. I smile to myself realizing that Bella had been distracting me. I must say that was the best fucking distraction ever. I love this girl; she knew exactly what I needed. "Thank you so much," I say.

She smiles at me sitting up. "Any and I do mean anytime. That was getting pretty hot, I feel like asking them to leave and come back in a few hours," Bella says. Suddenly, her eyes go wide, and she blushes realizing that she did indeed say that all out loud.

"Don't worry baby, I plan on picking up where we left off tonight. Shall we go find out what happened?" I ask, pulling on my shirt and running my hand through my hair. I watched while Bella fixed her clothes and hair, before we head downstairs.

They did not take the news well. Not that I expected them to. Jack said it was only Esme and Carlisle that were there. Carlisle kept insisting that they were wrong, that Aro is his friend and had nothing to do with it. Until we showed him the picture of Caius from when he worked in Chicago, and played the FBI tape for him that it finally sunk in. It has been a few hours now, and they have not called or even come over. Not that I thought they would welcome me back with open arms, or that I have tried to call them. Well, what I mean is I tried, but I just can't push that last number. I just don't want them to reject me again, not now; it would be too much to take. Bella has been great. She has held me, talked to me, been angry with me, but also gave me space. It's so strange that we both always seem to know what the other needs without asking for it. God, this has to be a long fucking day. I give Bella a kiss as I head upstairs for my third shower of the day. Three showers are not uncommon for me, I have about four a day normally, but that is mostly to take care of other issues. These showers today are more for my own escape, or my attempt at escaping my own mind for a bit.

I have been here for five minutes when it hits me. I can't make them come to me. No one can, it's up to them. It has always has been up to them. If they don't want to see me, that's fine really, because I have Bella and she is all I need. The thing about Bella is she needs me, as much as I need her. She has always been there for me, and I will always and forever be there for her. I start to feel calm for the first time today. I get dressed and head downstairs, as I get to the bottom I hear Bella's voice and I stop I listen to her.

"Look, I just want to say why I called you. See, there's this boy I'm seeing," she stops and sniffs then laughs a bit. "I say boy, but he's in every sense of the word a man. I love him more than my own life, and I know he feels that way about me, too." I feel my eyebrows come together as I try to work out who she is speaking to. "You see we got really close to…" there is a break in her talking. "No, you had your say Dr. Cullen, now you shut up and listen to me!" Fuck, what the hell is she doing? I turn the corner and I hear more. "That's all you ever do is talk, you never listen to anyone. At least if they talk positive about Edward, that is. You have the nerve to interrupt me yet again to ask me what the fuck? This is what the fuck this is about, now shut up and listen, and you'll find out. I swear to fuck for a doctor, at times, you are one seriously ignorant man." I stop in my tracks, as I hear her swear. Bella is not a swearing person, I have only heard her, a handful of times and it is mostly a repeat of something someone else said to her. "He's only nineteen. Nineteen, and he didn't do jack shit to you, any of you. You cut him off, you treat him like dirt, hell, I think the dirt under your feet would be treated with more respect than you ever treated him with. You have all been given proof that he did nothing, and you still don't care. Because of your fucking pride, he's hurting so God damn much, and he need his fa… You know what I was going to say that he needs his family, but I am his family. I love him and he is very much a part of my family in every way. I know that he needs you all in his life, too, and that the only…" He must have cut her off again, because I can hear she has stopped talking and seems to be breathing like she is madder yet. "I really don't give two fucks, about what you believe or don't believe. Well, I would really like to speak to Mrs. Cullen…" I hear silence again, I wonder if my mo…Mrs. Cullen is coming to the phone. "Why not? So you're forbidding her to talk to me, or speak to Edward?" More silence, and then I hear her blow up and scream at him again. "Well, if that is right then I hope your wife finds her fucking backbone. I hope she wakes up soon, and sees through all of your bigoted pride, you stupid asshole!" Bella slams the phone down and I can see her shaking and crying. I don't know what he said to her, but I am fucking pissed off now. As I move to her, she slides down the wall. I just get to her as she hits the floor.

"Oh, hey there, I'm okay, just needed to sit down. How was your shower, do you feel better now?" She asks, trying to cover the tears and calm herself down.

"My shower was refreshing, but I really missed you," I say picking her up. I walk across the room and sit us in a chair together.

"I'm sorry," she whispers.

I look at her; nuzzle her neck with my nose. "What for, baby?"

"I called the Cullens. I'm pissed that they have not come to see you. I can feel how much that hurt you, so it hurts me, too." I pull her hand to her chest. I know what she means; I feel her pain, too. "I just wanted…I don't know what I wanted. I'm so sorry, he just was so cold over your pain and I lost it."

I hold her close to me, calming her down. I rub her back and kiss her head, neck and cheek. I move my mouth back to her ear and use my nose to tuck the loose strands behind her ear. "I was thinking in the shower," I whisper.

"That's always dangerous," Bella sobs out, still trying to calm down.

"Yeah I know," I laugh a little and give her another kiss. "I am upset that they're still cutting me off, but there's nothing that I can do to change that. All I can do is keep the door open for them, if they ever do want back in my life." I feel her nod against my chest. "But, Bella, I do have a family. I have you – you mean so much more to me than anything I have ever had. You're my best friend, my girlfriend, my confidant, the person I give my kisses to, the person I hold lovingly in my arms every night, the person I crave, and someday you will be even more than just those things. Someday you will be my lover, and my wife. I'm really looking forward to the lover part," I smile against her skin. Then whispering lower than I was already, I reaffirm with her my intent. "You will be my wife, and the mother of our children." Truth be told, those are the two things I really look forward to. "You're everything I want, and need. If I only have you in my life, my life will be complete. You can take away all my other friends, family, adopted family, my businesses, my car, my music, everything, but you; I can never lose you. I need you as much as my lungs need air, as much as my body needs food and water, as much as my heart needs blood, you are more important than everything. That's why I can't live my life without you. However, you come with some great people. There's Grandpa, who has become my family in every way. Martin and Cole who are your uncle and his friend, but like brothers to you – they have taken me on as a brother, too. I feel that way about all of them—Jack, Will, Harry, and so many more, they are my family now, too. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for the phone call and defending me again. Thank you for being you. I promise you one thing, we will make it through this; I know we will. It will not always be easy. We have some tough times ahead of us. More tears, more anger, but we will make it through, because we have each other. I can make it anywhere with you next to me. I could battle my way through hell with you, or for you. I can take on the world and anything it throws at me, at us. We have something that most people just dream about; we have a really fucking awesome support group standing behind us." I kiss her on the head, as she nods agreeing with me.

"That was an epic speech…it was inspiring and sweet. I feel the same way about you, and the things you said are hands down the reason why I love you so much. You're my everything, too! I love you," Bella says as she kisses me.

"Come on, baby, let me take you to bed." I wiggle my eyebrows at her, before picking her up. She smiles and nods at me, as I head to bed for some more hot making out.

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**A/N: So now you know the back story behind a lot of things. More and more ties have come together, now we just need to reveal what Carlisle's issue is with Edward, and why he's behaved the way he has. What are your thoughts?**


	25. Chapter 25

**First post today, all chapters of this will be posted in full and this will be complete by the end of the day on the 19th of July. Enjoy, and please review.**

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**Chapter: 25 Letters**

**31st of December**

**EPOV**

It's New Year's Eve; Bella and I are making the food for tonight. The guys all take turns going to each other's house for the holiday. Everyone stays at the person's house, and has breakfast together the next morning. It's Will's turn this year, but due to what happened with Bella they have all decided to come over to Grandpa's instead.

Cole is busy putting the fairy lights on the ceiling. Bella is sitting on a chair in the kitchen making her special dips and decorating the cake she made. The other guys and their wives are all bringing something each to eat, as well as drink. I'm making cocktails following Grandpa's recipes; some are looking—not to mention smelling— lethal.

My mind has been preoccupied by the letter my parents left me. I still haven't opened it yet; Bella hasn't pushed it knowing that I need to get in the right frame of mind before I open it. No one from the Cullen family has called me either, looks like I'm still on their shit list.

It's six o'clock and Grandpa, Martin, and Cole have gone to collect the blow-up beds from Will's. Then they have to pick up the fireworks Cole ordered, and more beer. Bella has gone for a nap – the painkillers she's taking are still on the strong side, and make her sleepy.

I'm sitting in the rocking chair next to the window in our room. Bella's still having nightmares, so I stay close. She still talks in her sleep, and I have managed to catch bits and pieces of her nightmares and dreams. They are all different, yet the same. There is one where she's in the woods and some are about what happened to my mom and dad. There's a strange dream, where she's in a train station. She says she's not scared when she's there, just feels confused. We have talked about it, and she does not know where she is in the dream, but feels safe as there's a person or two with her.

I'm looking at the envelope which has my parents' letter in it. After taking a few deep breaths I open it.

_**16th of April, 1997**_

Seeing the date, I know they wrote this two weeks before they died and two months before my sixth birthday. It's written by my mother; I recognize her handwriting.

_**Dear Edward, my little Man, **_

_**Hi sweetie. I'm not really sure why I'm writing this, but I feel the need to. I think with all that has happened these last few months, I'm just on edge. Your father keeps telling me not to worry that he will keep us safe, but I just can't get rid of the dreadful feeling I have.**_

_**I wanted to write a letter for you to read when you are older, just in case I'm not here anymore, but don't tell your dad, it's our little secret.**_

_**I love you very much; you make me very proud in everything you do. You are so smart. You get that from your father; believe me when I say that. I can't believe that you are starting Kindergarden after this summer. You are going to love it –me, not so much. I'm going to miss you so much when you go to school. The school has offered me full-time work, too; I still don't know if I will take it. It all depends on the outcome of one thing, but I'm still going to miss you. I love teaching you, and you have taken to music much like me; you are so gifted. Your dad cried when he heard you play the piano the first time. He hid so that you would not see his tears, but I did, and he was such a proud father. He's even talking about buying a record company, so if that's what you wish to do when you are older – he already has the right people there for you. I laugh and remind him that you are only turning six; he just shrugs and says that he wants you to be anything you dream about. At this, I remind him that last week you said you wanted to be a superhero; he told me that he already had someone making you an outfit, so that you can be the best dressed superhero around.**_

_**I love the fact you love playing the piano, I hope you never lose the love of playing. I watch as you play and make up your own music. Your little hands move so fast – I find it hard at times to believe that it's just you playing. **_

_**I'm going to have to close this for now, there's a little boy running around pretending to be Batman, and I need to get him in the bath, and then put him to bed. Before I go I want to tell you in case anything happens that I… that we—me and your dad, that is—love you. We are proud of you, we will be proud of you no matter what line of work you do, even if you end up as a janitor. As long as you try hard and are happy in your life, which is all we could ever want for you. If we can't be there with you physically, we will be with you spiritually. Take care, my little man, and take care of my heart, as I left it with you.**_

_**I love you.**_

_**plus que ma propre vie (more than my own life).**_

_**Love,**_

_**Mom and Dad xoxoxo**_

By the time I finish reading the letter; my vision is blurry from with tears filling my eyes; I'm crying. I'm crying so much that I did not hear Bella wake up. I don't know that she is awake until she hugs me in her soft loving arms.

"I'm sorry I woke you up, baby," I say a little hoarsely.

"Sweetie, you didn't wake me up, and even if you did, you would never have to say sorry to me." She looks right in my eyes as she speaks, and hugs me again. We stay like this for more than an hour, not once did she ask me about the letter. Bella never pries into anything that's difficult for me, she always waits for me to tell her, or show her.

As it's getting late, I decide to take a shower before helping Bella with hers. Before I go, I hand her my mother's letter for her to read. I'm in the shower for twenty minutes before heading out to get Bella. She has set out both of our clothes for tonight on her bed. As I hug her from behind, she turns around to face me. I see that she has been crying, as she gives me a weak smile.

"I love you – thank you for sharing the letter with me. She sounds lovely," she says as she kisses my cheek.

"Yeah, she was, and my dad was really amazing, too. My mom showered me with love – I had forgotten how much until I read the letter." I hug Bella and kiss her nose. "Now, come on, baby girl, let's get you washed up." I give her a wink and a smile, and pick her up.

She looks up at me smirking. "You know it's a shame you didn't get me dirty first." I'm so astounded by her comment; I can feel my mouth still hanging open. She moves her body and slides down my side, once she is standing on her feet; she slaps my arm and heads for the shower. I just stand there with my mouth still open, and she glances back at me over her shoulder. "Are you coming, or are you just going to stand there looking like a fish out of water?" I close my mouth, swallow and smile.

"Well, if you really want me to get you dirty, I'm sure that it won't take me long to come up with something." I move quickly over to her, pulling her back into my arms and crush my mouth against hers. I was not only kissing her, I was consuming her. I keep up the attack with my mouth, as I walk us into the shower, closing the bathroom door with my foot. We have been showering naked together for the last two days. I kid you not; Bella's rocking one sexy body. As we shed her clothing, my hands travel across her flesh. I stop kissing her so I can adjust the water and drop the towel I had wrapped around my waist. I begin kissing her again, as we step inside the shower. I only stop kissing her so that I can wash her long beautiful hair. After the shower, I carry her to our bed still making out with her. I can't keep my hands to myself as I trail them across the soft skin of her breasts. I keep my hands on her, but keep it to the top half only. I know Bella is touching more of my body, and has let her hand travel down to run her fingers through my happy trail. As much as my cock wants her attention, I have been patient. I would rather wait until she has her cast off before we did anything along those lines.

As I lie her on the bed, I move the towel that is around her. I kiss my way down her body, along the healing line left from where she stabbed herself. I have kissed her here before, and find pleasure in kissing all her scars, every one that I see anyway.

After I have kissed the scars, I kiss across her body stopping when I reach her left breast. I slowly begin kissing her nipple, stopping to flick it with my tongue. She threads her fingers into my hair, and pulls on it. I must say that I love when she does this; it is a fucking turn on. I start to suck on her nipple as my hand massages the other one. Bella lets out a long loud moan, which goes straight to my cock. I wasn't sure it was possible, but I'm even harder than I was before. My fingers start pinching and pulling at the peak of her right breast, as she moans out more. I have learned over these last few weeks that Bella likes the hard stuff just as much as the soft stuff, just like me.

I change sides taking her right nipple into my mouth. Pinching her left nipple now, while flicking her right with my tongue, makes my girl moan out even louder. She's pulling my hair and yet pressing her breast tighter to my mouth. She says my name, and I look up at her. Looking into her eyes, I see both lust and love. I'm sure that my eyes are showing the same things. She pulls my head back and leans forward kissing me hard. I know this is going somewhere fast, and we both need to take a step back. Almost as if we are reading each others' minds, she pulls back at the same time as I do. We both smile giving each other a look that says, 'I really want this, but we need to stop'. As I roll myself off her, I keep my eyes on hers. "I fucking love you, so fucking much."

She bites her lip and smiles. "I love you, too, Edward. Come on, we better get dressed, before I tie you to the bed instead."

I chuckle, and then the thought makes me hotter. "Bella, you can tie me to the bed anytime baby, because turnabout is fair play. And baby, I know I will definitely be tying you to it, soon," I say. I pull her up to me and give her one more scorching kiss and a nip on the neck before we get dressed.

Bella's in a midnight blue dress, I fucking love that color on her. It's also a really short dress; it only goes to halfway up her thigh. I recognize this as the dress she sent me a picture of the day she went missing. I start to feel sad about what I almost lost. Again, Bella brings me out of my thoughts as she touches my face. I give her a smile knowing that she came back to me. I will do any and everything to hold onto her until the end of time. I'm going to make sure that I don't lose her.

"You ready for some dancing?" She asks me with a smile, and a twitch of her hips.

I chuckle, and kiss her forehead. "Baby, I'm always ready for you." I give her a wink before picking her up and taking her downstairs. We are only downstairs for ten minutes before Grandpa, Martin, and Cole comes through the door. They all go upstairs to start getting the rooms set up. Grandpa, Martin, and Cole are sharing a room. Will and his wife are going into the spare room. Harry and his wife will be in the living room. Jack and his wife are sleeping in the gym area of the basement. The basement – gym area is really nice, thanks to Martin who designed it. Bella and I offered to take the gym, and give them our room. They said _no_, since there's no bathroom there, they didn't want Bella having to navigate the steps. Sue, Leah, and Seth are coming, too. Sue's going to sleep in Martin's room. Bree, Leah and Seth are staying in our room with Bella and me.

Lilly and Ella called yesterday asking Bella and I to come over for Sunday lunch on the ninth. We agreed to go, plus Grandpa, Martin, and Cole have planned a fishing trip that weekend as well. Grandpa says that you can get some great fishing in the first weeks of the year.

As Bella and I make the last minute touches to the living room, Cole comes in putting on some music. As soon as the sounds start from the speakers, there's a knock on the door. Everyone's arriving all around the same time; it's strange how it always seems to work out that way. I'm surprised to see Rose turn up. It turns out her mom has gone to Jasper's house to ring in the new year there, and she wanted to come here instead. We were happy to see her, and welcomed her with open arms.

The night goes well. There are plenty of laughs; all the ladies are in the living room and the guys are outside. The older guys are giving us younger guys advice.

"I will give this piece of advice, to any of you," Will says. He stops long enough to point at each of us: Cole, Martin, Seth, and I. "I know you don't have kids yet, but may have them in the future. So remember this now, it's important. If you are doing this, stop now; if you don't do it now, then don't ever start. Advice number one, don't use the word DIRTY in a sexual manner," he stops talking. Grandpa, Harry, and Jack are nodding in agreement the entire time I'm choking on the beer I was sipping. Choking may be an off term in reality; it flew out my nose as soon as he said sexual manner. "I'm not judging anyone; hey, I have done it myself. Take my advice though, and stop now – here's why. It will bite you in your ass suddenly, when you turn to your infant daughter and say 'Look at you now, you dirty girl.' Trust me, someday if you have a daughter you will say the term 'dirty girl,' and you will feel ashamed and creeped out by it. Second, the word SCREW; it's another word you don't want to use. You know 'wanna screw around?' Then later in life telling your child 'don't screw around.' Both are proper words with proper meanings, but when we change them for pleasure, well – we ruin them for proper use in the future. So, don't use dirty or screw in sexual terms," he says. Dropping his voice to almost a whisper he brings out the big one. "For God's sake, don't ever use the sentence: 'Do what daddy tells you'." Jack then wiggles his eyebrows at us, and we all fall out laughing.

Just as we are almost calmed down, Jack's wife shouts at him. "You ignored your own advice, when you said that last night!"

At this point, we all begin laughing again. I shake my head quickly, trying to get that image out of my head.

As it gets closer to midnight, we all go out to the back deck. Grandpa bought some champagne to ring in the New Year. Bella is only allowed a half a glass because of the medications she has to take. As the countdown begins, I grab Bella and pull her to me. I place our glasses down on the table next to us. I look right into her eyes as the ticker gets to ten. I cup her head, threading my fingers in her hair. Tilting her body back, my mouth makes purchase on her collar bone, and up her neck. Our bodies are fully pressed together by five. I continue to work my way up her throat and as the clock strikes midnight, my mouth takes hers in a deep, passion-filled kiss. As the fireworks explode above us, the fireworks between us are exploding, too. I slow down our kissing enough to allow her dipped body to stand, without breaking our lip lock. I pick her up and bring her up pulling her as close as I can get her, still kissing her the whole time. I'm completely entranced by her, and I don't see anyone or anything but her.

"Hey, are you planning on letting her go sometime soon? I kind of want to wish her a Happy New Year. I already talked to everyone else." I stop kissing Bella, and turn to see Rose smirking at us. I look behind her and see everyone is facing us with huge smiles on their faces, too. Before I can let her go, Rose is pulling her in for a hug, hugging me at the same time. We stand here still together and spend the next few minutes wishing people a Happy New Year. Seth makes sure to tell me how hot the kiss was.

We spend the next half an hour watching the fireworks. Bella sits on my lap the whole time. This has been one of the best nights of my life. Rose decided to stay with us, too, so the four girls take the bed leaving me and Seth with the floor. We manage to have a few laughs before falling asleep.

**1st of January 2011**

I wake to find Bella not in the room; all the other girls are still sleeping. I head downstairs and find her in the kitchen starting on breakfast for everyone. "How did you get down here? You know you could have awakened me. I wouldn't have minded," I tell her, as I bring her close to me hugging and kissing her. She looks up and smiles at me, giving me another kiss on my lips.

"I know, but you looked so peaceful. Seth was awake, so he carried me down," Bella says pointing at Seth who is sitting at the table with an apron on mixing pancake batter.

Seth stops mixing and flexes his muscles at me and smiles. "I may be gay, but I can lift her." I laugh, and nod in agreement.

The morning goes well, and everyone helps out. It's a really good start to the New Year for all of us. Everyone helped clean up before leaving to head for their own homes.

**2nd of January 2011**

Sunday lunch with Lilly, Phil, Ella and her family went well. Ella shows us a picture of the baby boy that she is about to adopt. He has spina bifida; his mother is only sixteen and was thrown out of her house when she told her parents that she was pregnant. She had always planned to put him up for adoption, knowing that the baby would stand a better chance with another family than with a teen mom.

The young mother was heartbroken to hear about the baby having spina bifida. She was certain that he would not get adopted because of it. She was ecstatic when she found out that Ella and Waylon were still planning on adopting him and caring for him. Bella was so happy for them; pleased they would care for a baby that had such a hard life to face. The day was lovely, and we both went to sleep that night completely tired out.

Monday morning finds me running around the track at school. Usually, Bella joins me when I run in the mornings, but because of her cast she has been unable to. I had even stopped going for a while, I just didn't want to leave her. I fucking hate leaving Bella, even if it's just going to the bathroom. Peter says that after what has happened that it's normal and it will take time. I left today because Rose had come by. I could see in her face that she was in need of some girl time. I have been here for two hours because I wanted to give them some time together. I also needed to have a good workout, because I have missed practice for three weeks now. I am on my sixth mile when my phone rings. I see it is my home number I smile and answer it.

"Hey baby, are you missing…"

A voice interrupts me, "Edward," my smile fades as I hear Rose's voice on the other side.

"Sorry Rose, thought that you…"

Again Rose interrupts me. "Edward, you need you come back here now. There's something wrong with Bella." Before she has finished what she's saying I'm already running to my car.

"Rose, what happened? What's wrong with her?" I feel bad for the sharpness of my voice, but don't dwell on it.

"I don't know, she was laughing and talking to me. I got the mail for her and she opened a letter. After reading it, she started baking and hasn't stopped. She just doesn't look right, Edward. I didn't want to ask about the letter. I called Martin and Charlie, they're on their way, too," Rose's voice is full of worry.

"Rose, I'm just coming up to the house, so I'm going to hang up now." I don't wait for her to answer me before I hang up. The drive should've taken me ten minutes, but I did it in three. I park the car and jump out, running into the house.

As soon as I enter the kitchen, I can see what Rose is talking about. Bella is clearly upset, and there is emptiness in her eyes. Other than the hurt I see, they seem dead. She's talking to Rose, but you can hear the hurt in her voice. I stand there looking at her, trying to calm down before I find out who has done this to her.

"Oh hey, sweetie, I didn't hear you come in," Bella says as she moves over to give me a kiss. I kiss her before looking above her head as Rose gives me a nod. Rose leaves us in the kitchen alone together.

"Baby girl, what's wrong?"

She looks down, fidgeting with her hands. "Rose called you, didn't she?"

I pull her to me, kissing her hair and holding her in my arms. "Yeah, she was worried, and by the looks of things she was right to worry. Do you want to talk to me about it?"

She shakes her head, but shows me a letter, she pulls from her pocket. "No, not really, but you can read the letter if you want…" She stops and takes a deep breath, then huffs it back out. "I mean, I want you to read it. I just… I can't… talk about it just now. I just want to make some more stuff," she says pulling back from our hug. She hands me the letter, before starting on some more recipes. I know by the way she keeps looking at me she would rather I read the letter somewhere else. I kiss her head, and walk into the living room.

"Is she okay?" Rose asks, jumping up as I come in.

"No," I tell her rubbing my face. "But, she gave me the letter she got. Could you go sit with her while I read it?"

She nods and moves toward the kitchen. "Grandpa and Martin should be here in about twenty minutes or so, they just called," she says holding up her cell phone.

I sit down taking deep breath before opening the letter. I look at the bottom first to see who it's from and I'm stunned to see that it's from Renee. I go back to the top and read the letter.

_**To Isabella Swan**_

_**I've got great news! They have deemed me healthy, and I'm now out of that place you sent me to. I knew I would get free of it someday; you can't beat me, as I have God on my side. **_

_**I am sending you this letter to tell you to stay away from my family. I know that you went to my mother's house, and I want the money she gave you; it's mine. I will keep them safe from you; you're nothing more than a demon child. Look at what happened to that nice man, you killed him. I feel sad for his poor family. It should have been you that died not him; you took another one of God's children by killing him. That's three now Isabella, you are going to rot in hell. **_

_**You still need proof that you are evil Isabella? Look at all the people you have hurt since moving to Forks. It was a nice place until you got there and planted the seeds of evil. All those children taking drugs and what about the young man I saw you with? Are you fucking him? Well, of course you are, that would be the only reason he would ever be with you. You're nothing but a plain ass, skinny, ugly, fucking spawn of all evil; a demon child. You stole him from that other girl, now she's good and beautiful and all alone. Unlike what you are, she is an angel. You are a demon, and now you are a whore demon. **_

_**Remember, Bella, everything you touch dies. This is your punishment from God. Does Father know that you killed his wife, does he? How do you think he is going to feel when he finds out that you killed her? He will hate you just like I do. As for that man who thinks she was his mother, too, well he is just like you another fucking demon. He helped you out with her; he made her weak so you were able to kill her. The two of you have killed many other people, too. You two should be together, two demons together forever. Since you're a demon whore, I am sure you could have him and his friend, too. **_

_**Well I have to go. I have people to see and things to do.**_

_**I will be seeing you really soon.**_

_**Renee Dwyer**_

I have to grip the arm of the couch, as I feel my anger rise up. Who in the fucking hell deemed her healthy? What kind of piece of shit, fuckhead doctor would do that? By the sounds of this letter, she's nowhere near being sane. I'm still breathing deep as Grandpa and Martin come in. I'm surprised that Martin hasn't gotten into trouble, with all the time he has taken off these past few months.

Bella comes out of the kitchen and greets them, telling them she's fine and I have the letter before going back in. I wait as they both read it. Grandpa sits down upset, as Martin calls the unit she was in to get more information from them.

"I don't know where I went wrong with Renee. I keep praying that she'll get help, and turn out a better person." I move over and sit next to Grandpa. "I don't want to give up if there's a chance that she will be normal. But at the same time, I am so pissed at her for doing this to Bella. It took Peter two years to break down some of her walls. Bella believed that she was bad, a demon, it's one of the main reasons she didn't let Jacob in her life. I thank God she didn't because, well, you know. I hope this doesn't set her back, with all that going on. I just can't watch her go back to thinking she is evil and that it's okay for people to hurt her."

Grandpa begins shaking I can clearly see how much he loves his daughter, but he also loves his granddaughter at the same time. I rub his back as Martin comes back in.

"She got out on the thirty-first; they're unsure why we weren't told. She's in a halfway house in Idaho. They said she wanted to come back here, but you had already refused. They said that since she was unable to come here because Bella was here, that she was not happy and thinks that's when she wrote the letter." Martin is clearly pissed off. I can see there isn't much love lost between him and Renee. "I have contacted the local police station, and they are going to keep an eye on her. I think we should keep an eye on the incoming mail." Martin comes over and sits next to us.

"Thank you, son, I spoke to her last week. She never said anything about her case being looked at. She did ask when she got out if she could move back in here. I thought that she was talking about eighteen month from now, when her case was due for review. I told her no! I would love to see her; however, she cannot come back here. This is not only Bella's home, but yours, too. She ended up screaming at me for ten minutes about how could I pick you two over her. I was already pissed at her, because she saw the news about Bella and she never once asked if she was okay. She asked about you, Edward, and then got pissed when I said that you were living here. I'm at a loss. I don't know how to help her anymore. Not that anything I ever did helped her," Grandpa says looking down as he speaks. I feel my heart break for him.

I know that he loves Bella and will protect her as he has always done. There were also things that happened between Renee and Martin. Where Charlie loves them both so much, Renee tried to make him choose between them; which is something Grandpa would not do. At the same time he knows that he has to keep Martin and Bella away from Renee. I know it hurts him, because she is clearly not right in the head.

We sit and talk about the best way to handle Renee being out. Martin calls Lilly and Ella, to let them know. To say that Lilly was not happy about this is an understatement. The fact that Renee was claiming to be her family, and using the family name enraged her. I must say I was surprised that she kept it in when she was on the phone.

Rose also found out about the contents of the letter, she talked to Bella about her dad. Telling Bella what he used to say to her to get her to do what he wanted, she also said a bit about her mom. I think this talk really helped Bella, too.

Rose told her that where it's completely clear that Renee is ill, Rose's father is just a power-hungry bastard. She muttered something about him becoming somebody's bitch, which made Bella laugh for the first time that day. I think that it helped that Rose could understand what she felt like, hearing something like that coming from a parent when they are supposed to love you.

By the end of the night, Bella had baked enough that Martin was able to take six different boxes of muffins and a cake with him. He claimed that the guys in the office love Bella's cooking.

Bella and I took some more cookies, muffins, and cupcakes to the children's home, and the homeless shelters. Even after all that we still had about ten boxes left at home. Fuck, I'm going have to work out more, or coach is going to kill me when we go back to school on Monday. Her muffins are _so _good.

**7th of January 2011**

The week slowly passed. Peter came by the day after Bella received the letter and talked to her about it. I can see now why Bella still sees him every week. Renee has sent Bella letters before, she even asked to see her three years ago, but when Bella went, Renee attacked her again. She slammed her hand in a door, which is how she got the weird scar on her inner wrist.

We are sitting outside having a picnic, as it's unusually warm and dry, when Liam, our new chief of police shows up.

"Bella, Edward, these are for you," he says handing us subpoenas. They are for Royce's court date, for what he did to Rose. The hearing is in four weeks time.

"Thanks," I say giving him a nod.

"Sorry to bring bad news. I know you had a bad few weeks," he says. I nod as he walks back to his car, and Bella sighs.

"I am going to give Rose a call. We knew that this was coming, but it still took me by surprise." She turns and looks at me. I pull her close and kiss her temple.

"Me, too, baby, me, too." I pick her up and carry her into the house, so she can call Rose.

* * *

**A/N: the joke belongs to Dara O'Briain, but Nikky loves it. We will put the link at the bottom. We did change parts of it though to reflect the American side of the story. No harm, no foul to the fans of the original. I do urge the American readers to check out the link and see it the English way. Very amusingly funny!) watch?v=hyEy021HsFU it's in the first few minutes.**

**So what did you all think of Renee, she's a special kind of cray cray, isn't she? The letter from Edward's mother was just as touching, what do you all think of the situations?**


	26. Chapter 26

**Second update for today...**

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**Chapter 26: A Day in Court**

**21st of January 2011**

The weeks have flown by fast. Mrs. O'Conner has allowed Bella and me out of our classes ten minutes early each day, so that Bella can get around without other people getting in the way. Most people keep out of the way, but there are some, like Tanya and Mike that try and make things hard for Bella. I just hope that I can make it through the rest of the year without punching one of them. At this point, I don't think I will make it to the end of the month.

We just came home, and Bella is making a snack for us before we start on our homework.

"Root beer, or iced tea?" She asks as she gets into the fridge.

"Iced tea, please," I say. She nods and goes about her routine of making us each a sandwich and getting the drinks.

**Knock Knock**

"I will get that, you keep making the sandwiches," I say. I give her a wink as head for the door.

**Knock Knock Knock**

"Hold on, I'm coming," I yell irritated. I hate it when people keep pounding a door. I open the door and am surprised at who's standing there.

"Mrs. Cullen!" I run my hand through my hair. "Would you like to come in?" I ask, using the manners that have been bred into me since I was a small child.

_Fuck, I'm not sure I'm ready for this._

"Yes, please, Edward," Esme answers looking right at me. I can see that she has been crying, and is looking rather run down.

"Who was at the door Edw—?" Bella cuts off as she sees Esme walking in. She gives me the 'are you okay' look. I nod and show Esme into the living room. "Would you like a tea or coffee, Mrs. Cullen?" Bella asks as Esme sits down.

"Yes, please, Isabella. Hot tea would be great, black, no sugar please."

Bella heads back into the kitchen and comes back almost right away with Esme's tea. Bella already had the kettle on for herself, so she just made it for Esme instead. Bella loves to relax after school with a cup of hot tea.

As she hands Esme the tea, she gives me another look. I can see she is asking me if I want her to stay or go. I motion for her to join me, and she moves to my side and sits with me. Esme is sitting across from us, and she takes on a sour look as Bella sits beside me.

"Isabella, I wish to speak to Edward alone. Please, can't you go upstairs or somewhere else?" Esme asks waving her hand in the air, as if she is brushing away some smoke.

Before Bella can answer, or move, I intercede. "With all due respect, Mrs. Cullen, I just asked Bella to join me. I want her to stay, and I would certainly be more comfortable with her beside me. Furthermore, in case it is lost on your perception, Bella is in a cast and can't just go somewhere," I state waving my hand mocking her. "And most importantly, this is her home; she will not leave to make things easier for you. Now, if you have something to say then say it in front of Bella, there are no secrets whatsoever between her and me." Bella clasps my hand and strokes the back of it as I speak to Esme.

"Okay, that's fine, Edward. I came here to bring you home, and we can talk more when we get there. Now, go and get your clothing, I will wait here." I look at her as if she's gone off her rocker, because right now, I think she has.

"What in the hell are you talking about? I am not going to your house with you—I live here!"

Esme takes a deep breath, and then she lets out a big sigh. "Look, Edward, I know that you and Rose are not ... were not dating, so you can come home now. You certainly can't stay here, shacking up with Isabella. You're both too young for that type of relationship, plus, you're both going college soon. It's not as if you're going to be with each other then," she says almost indignantly.

I laugh, literally out loud and right in her face at her absurdness. When I take note that no one but me finds this funny, I clear my throat and glance at Esme, who's clearly out of her fucking mind. "Look, Mrs. Cullen, with all due respect, not that I owe much to any of the Cullens right now. Our relationship is perfectly fine, and quite frankly, not one bit about it is your business. However, since you think it's your business, I will let you in on a few facts that you're clearly not aware of. First of all, I love her and I would marry her in a heartbeat, and she feels the same way about me. Second, we are going to the same college. Both of us have already been accepted, and we will be living together in a condo that I already have purchased. Third, if I were, as you call it, shacking up with Bella, it would be absolutely none of your or your family's concern. I am a legal adult, and Bella is of legal age to marry me with consent, which we would be granted immediately if, we so desire. Now, if this is why you came you may as well just go back to YOUR home, without me. You see, Mrs. Cullen, I'm already home."

"But you're too young. Please tell me that you are being safe? You don't need any, 'accidental surprises', ruining your life!" She actually uses the air quotes when she says the words accidental surprises.

"Just who are you and what have you done with the Esme Cullen I knew and loved? I mean, I knew you really changed, but I have never heard you be so rude to someone before. Not that it is any of your business whatsoever, but Bella and I are not having a sexual relationship. It's our choice to be in a romantic, _not _physical relationship. If ... no, when we do become sexually active, it will be by _our _choice. When that day comes, if Bella should get pregnant, it would not ruin my life, nor would it ruin hers. A child born from the love that Bella and I share could never ruin anything for us. A child would only make our love and life more complete, because our love and respect for each other outshines all the hatred and evil in the world. Now, as I said before, I am not going back with you, so if that's what you want, you might as well leave now. You need to understand that I will not allow you to sit here and belittle, or target this girl. She and her family are the only ones who have been here for me consistently, and unconditionally." I stand and motion to the door with my hand. "You're quite welcome to leave, alone. I will not allow your venom to harm her. She's as much a part of me as my own mind, heart, and soul."

"I filed for divorce; the stupid idiot thought that your dad and I had an affair." I sit back down beside Bella. "Before Edward started dating your Mom." I'm shocked by the few words that she just said. "That's what his problem has been these last few years," she sighs and rubs her face. "When Carlisle went to college, he met your dad in a bar and they became friends. Carlisle idolized your father, mainly because he was a bit older and he always had girls all over him. Anyway, I lived next door to Edward for years. We didn't hang out much, because he was like, ten years older than me. But, Edward always made time for me, more so as I got older. He knew what my home life was like."

I remember hearing the stories about Esme's father. He was a judge, and a raging alcoholic. He was very abusive toward both Esme and her mother.

"Anyway, they had known each other for three years when I started college. That's when I met your mother, Elizabeth. We shared a dorm room, and became friends. It was six months after school started, and I was working late. I was walking home when I felt as if I was being followed. I knew that Elizabeth had gone home for the weekend, so I called Edward to come and get me. I went in a bar close to where I was. The guy that was following me came in and was trying to get me to go with him. Edward came in the bar and punched his lights out, and Carlisle was with him. Carlisle held me while Edward dealt with the man. After a small brawl, Edward introduced Carlisle and me to each other. I found out that he was Elizabeth's brother, and we talked nonstop the rest of the night. He told me that Elizabeth had asked him to meet me, but he didn't want to meet a younger woman and now he wished he had. We started dating steadily from that day on. We had been dating for close to six months when my father came to my job and dragged me home. My mom had left him again and he was asking me where she was. I didn't know and I told him that, but he beat me badly that night. The only people who knew about it were Elizabeth and Edward." Esme stands and paces about a little; I can see she is trying to calm down. "Edward had heard the end of my father's ranting and came running in just as my father passed out drunk. He took me over to his home, and fixed me up. After that, I begged him to take me back to my dorm. I didn't want to be at Edward's; it was too close to my childhood home. Elizabeth helped me get changed into one of Edward's t-shirts; it was really big on me. Once I was cleaned up Edward and Elizabeth took me back to the dorms. I didn't want to be alone, and Elizabeth had to work so Edward agreed to stay with me. I was so scared. I made him lay with me, but he was above the covers. Carlisle came to see me that night, and saw us on the bed like that. He thought that I had sex with Edward. The next morning I knew nothing about him showing up, neither did Edward. Carlisle called me to say that he had to go away for a few weeks, and he would see me when he got back. We kept in touch through phone calls. By the time he came back, my wounds had healed. Edward had begun officially dating Elizabeth, so when Carlisle started acting funny we all thought that was the problem. Since Edward was eleven years older than Elizabeth, we figured that was what bothered Carlisle. I never told him about that night, not even a year later when I told him about my home life. By then Edward had enough power that he pretty much got my dad to stay away, far away from me. In Carlisle's mind we cheated, he told me that during an argument early this week. It looks to me like he has been taking his misplaced anger and jealousy out on you; he just can't see it yet. I'm so sorry that I stood by and let him. I have told him that he needs help, and that I want a divorce. Please come home, Edward? I have missed our talks, our special times, you were always so close to me," she says looking down as she was crying.

"Mrs. Cull…" I stop myself. "Auntie Esme, I love you. I was always a bit of a momma's boy, and that's why it was so hard for me when you turned your back on me." Esme starts to sob at this point, but I have to make it clear that it's going to take time. "It's going to take a lot of talking, and dealing through all of this to get us back on track. I don't think I will ever feel that close to you again, and I'm sorry for that. We can talk and try to mend this relationship best as we can. I really love you and want you in my life, but I'm staying here. Dr. Cullen has lot to work out, and me being there is going to make it harder for him. Maybe you should come to some of my therapy sessions with Peter; he could help us work to rebuild our relationship."

Esme nods at me. "I'm sorry for how I treated you, Edward, You, too Isabella. A part of me is jealous of how close you are, and the other is worried. I stood by Emmett and Alice, and watched as they both have had their hearts broken. I just don't want the same for you, Edward, not after everything you have been through," she says looking at Bella the whole time.

"Mrs. Cullen, please call me Bella. I really don't like being called Isabella. I love Edward with all my heart and I would rather die a horrific death than harm him in any way, shape, or form. As for Emmett's relationship, that was partially his own fault, as well as Rose's. The same goes for Alice and Jasper. I don't keep things from Edward unless there's a very good reason. Even then I know for a fact that he will be told soon. Edward does the same for me. When it's something that could hurt us we will wait until therapy, so we both have support. I love him, and I will work at keeping things good between us. I'm honest with him, and I always intend to be. I'm not going to let the best thing in my life get away from me," she says and I kiss her temple. Esme looks between us before nodding.

"I will call you soon, Edward, I hope you can forgive me." Esme moves to the door and leaves after thanking us for our time.

"It's a start," Bella says as she gets up.

"It is that," I say taking a deep breath. "I will talk to Peter on Monday about Esme coming alone first and then together the following week, if you don't mind?"

"Of course not," she smiles at me. I give her a chaste kiss, before we make our way to the kitchen to eat our sandwiches and do our homework.

**1st of February **

Rose's court case starts today. Bella and I are ready and have gone to meet everyone. Rose, her mom, Grandpa, and Martin are meeting us at Rose's. Ella, Lilly, and everyone else are meeting us at the courthouse. Cole has freely offered to be a co-counsel with the prosecutor. Cole has helped make the case rock solid. He was the one who got us ready for today. The prosecutor doesn't like him much, but knows that Cole is good at what he does.

We have just gotten to Rose's new apartment; they moved in last week. The apartment was fully furnished, so they only needed to move their clothing and personal items. It only took us three hours to help Rose and her mom move in.

"Thank God you are here," Rose says pulling us in and hugging us. Rose looks pretty scared and strung out.

"Rose, here I got some make up to help hide those dreadful dark circles under your eyes. I also grabbed you a different skirt to wear…" Rose's mom comes in holding a skirt and make up bag.

"Hello, Mrs. Hale, how are you today?" Bella asks in a sweet voice, as she moves toward to her.

"Hello, Mrs. Hale," I say moving over, too, taking the skirt and make up bag from her.

"Bella, Edward, it's so good of you to come. Rose, when are you going to meet a sweet boy like Edward here?" Mrs. Hale asks raising her eyebrows at Rose. It's clear that Rose is about to crack. She's going to lose it on her mother. Bella and I share a look, and I can tell from her facial expression we have the same idea.

"Rose, can you help me fix my hair please?" Bella asks as she moves in the direction of Rose's bedroom.

As soon as Bella got her question out, I was quick. "Mrs. Hale will you join me for a coffee?" I ask holding out my arm, as I move us to the kitchen.

"Oh no, she forgot the makeup bag, I'll just…" I take a hold of her before she can take it to Rose.

"Mrs. Hale, Rose has to keep the scars visible, it will help her case. The judge will need to see it, so will the jury. Cole went through all this with Rose last week. And she's still very beautiful, even showing the scars she carries."

Mrs. Hale smiles at me. "If I were younger, I would definitely be eating you up. Are you sure you're happy with Bella?" I try and not laugh, Rose has been telling us her mom sings my praises.

"I'm very happy with Bella. I love her very much, but if anything happens between us, you would be first on my list. I do have a thing for older women," I say giving her a wink. On cue Mrs. Hale blushes and hits my arm.

"I was talking about Rose," she says shaking her head. I was already aware she was talking about Rose, but chose to side step it like I'm about to do again.

"Mrs. Hale, Rose says that you took a typing course a few years back and you're pretty good?"

She smiles at me. "Oh yes, I did, I loved it."

I hand her the cup of tea I made her. "Well, you see, there's a secretary job opening at my company. It's thirty hours a week, and pays eleven dollars an hour. Of course, you would have benefits, and Mr. Jeeves would be willing to offer you the position on a trial basis of thirty days. Since you're new to working outside the home, try it for a month and see if you like it. If you do, then the job is yours to keep. What do you think?" I ask.

"You got me a job?" She asks, and I nod at her as she starts to cry. "Thank you, so much, Edward. Don't be worried in the least, I will not tell a soul about who you are." She grabs me and hugs me close.

"It was really Bella's idea; she and Mr. Jeeves were talking. He mentioned needing to hire someone, and Bella told him about you. She even showed him a copy of that resume that you did with her, that's why you don't need to do an interview."

She smiles and nods. "Yeah, she's a lovely girl, second only to my Rose. I'm so worried about this case, and I've been a bossy bitch to Rose."

I hand her a hanky, as she starts to cry again. "She knows you mean well," I say. On cue both Rose and Bella come out, and Rose looks calmer than before.

"Thank you, Bella for helping Rose, and for the help getting me a job." She hugs Bella, and Bella stiffens, but hugs her back. Rose places her hand on Bella's back and rubs, knowing this is hard for Bella.

"Okay, Mom, let Bella go. We need to leave." Rose takes her mom's arm, pulling her away from Bella. She mouths the word 'sorry' at Bella before turning to her mom.

"You look beautiful and I love you. I'm sorry I've been a bit of a bitch," Mrs. Hale says to Rose as they hold hands.

The car ride it quiet, everyone is waiting for us. Cole reminds us of our hand signal that he gave us. It's more so for Rose if it all becomes too much for her. Cole reassures her and tells her not to worry; we will all get through this.

"Case docket 72563D82, the State of Washington versus King, Smith, Taylor, and White, is called to court room number four. Court will start in fifteen minutes," the court clerk shouts.

The trial has been going for about ninety minutes; Rose is on the stand. Royce's lawyer is targeting her, trying to show her as a promiscuous lying tramp.

"Isn't it true that you lied to people, saying that you were dating Edward Cullen? And now you're telling us that you were dating Mr. King instead. You expect us just to believe your next story?" He has been going on and on about Rose, it's been like this for ten minutes now.

"Royce asked me not to say that we were dating. Emmett and his family kept calling. I didn't mean to lie about Edward, it just happened," Rose rushes out.

"Is that so Miss Hale? Can you tell the court what you were arrested for on the twenty-third of March 2010?"

"Objection your honor, Miss Hale is not the one on trial here. Her arrest should not be an issue," the District Attorney says, standing up as he speaks.

"Issues behind the arrest are important to help prove my client's case," Royce's attorney states.

"Miss Hale, please answer the question," the judge says.

"According to his piece of paper, I was arrested for sexual offenses," Rose answers hiding her face.

"Is it true that you and Mr. Cullen were arrested for having sexual intercourse in a public park?" He asks looking at me, as if I was the Mr. Cullen in question.

"Emmett and..." Rose is cut off by him.

"It is a yes or no question. Were you and Mr. Cullen arrested for having sexual intercourse in a public park?"

Rose sighs, and looks at her mom and says, "Yes."

"Miss Hale, isn't it true that you like it hard, sex for you is better when your partner of choice really gives it to you?"

"Objection!" Cole shouts, standing up.

"Mr. Pitt, I have told you before, this is not your case to plead. Please stop shouting objection and sit down," the judge looks right at Cole. Cole in turn smacks the side of the District Attorneys chair, waving his hand.

"Objection your honor, Miss Hale's sexual preferences are not important, nor are they on trial."

The judge looks to Royce's lawyer. "Your honor, I am trying to prove that Miss Hale was a willing party at this event of her own free will." The judge tells him to continue.

"Miss Hale, is it true that you went to Mr. King telling him that you had a fantasy about having sex with several guys at once?"

"Yes," Rose cries through her answer.

"Isn't it also true that you told him how you enjoy sex outside?"

"Yes," Rose sniffles.

"Isn't it true that you told him your favorite sex was hardcore, and role play?"

"Yes," Rose states again.

"Wasn't it just a role play situation that was happening in that alley that day?"

"No," Rose states.

"Now, Miss Hale, you have admitted that you like role play sex, hard, rough sex, and outdoor sex. You have also been caught in lies where you claimed to be the girlfriend of Mr. Cullen. Isn't it quite likely that you were a willing participant with Mr. King and his friends until Mr. Cullen came upon you in that alley?"

"I don't know how to answer that, no, but—" he cuts her off.

"Well, let's see here, Miss. Hale. You have always had a thing for Mr. Cullen, most would say obsessed. All of a sudden you have the opportunity to have him as your knight in shining armor. I think that you were playing the part, in hopes that he would comfort you. I contend that it was at this point that you cut yourself to add to the effect. Now, isn't this all true Miss Hale?" Rose shakes her head. "Come on Miss Hale, we already have proven that you like outdoor sex and that you lied about dating Mr. Cullen. Now be honest, isn't this really all about gaining more attention from Mr. Cullen," the fucker smirks at Rose.

"No, no, no. It didn't happen like that. I didn't want him to touch me. He cut my face. I am not lying about this," Rose breaks down as Royce's lawyer sits down smirking.

We break for lunch and all go to a nearby café. Rose is still pretty upset, but she's now done with the questioning. I fucking hate how the victim gets cross examined so harshly in court. Sometimes, it seems like the criminals have more rights than the victims. Cole is livid with our District Attorney for not being better and on his game. I hate all lawyers, well, all but Cole, that is.

When we get back I'm first up, they go through my questioning pretty fast, and Royce's lawyer keeps the whole thing to yes or no questions. Like everything is that simple, luckily the District Attorney re-questioned me and clarified my answers. Bella is now on the stand, and I'm ready to jump the divider and beat Royce's attorney down.

"Remember to answer only yes or no, there are no other answers that are acceptable," he tells Bella. Bella nods at him in understanding.

"Miss Swan, Miss Hale lied about dating Edward right?" He asks, still having that fucking cocky look on his face.

"No," Bella says looking right at him.

He is stunned for a moment. "What do you mean no? Both Miss Hale and Mr. Cullen testified that was the case. Are you saying that they lied on the stand?" I can see Cole smirking, and he covers his face as he let out a small snickering noise.

"No," Bella replies again.

"So then you just lied?" He asks as he turns away from looking at Bella to see Cole smirking and still hiding his chuckles.

"No," Bella says simply, rolling her eyes as if she is bored.

"Are you able to say anything else besides, no?" He asks clearly pissed at her.

"Yes," Bella starts looking at her nails as if she is contemplating her nail color.

"Well then, how can both answers be right then?" He asks, starting raise his voice.

Bella looks at him blankly.

"Well, what is it, does the cat have your tongue?"

"No," Bella says with a smile.

"Can you explain how you say that she did not lie, but yet she does?"

"Yes," again Bella just looks at him after her one word answer.

"Then tell us," Royce's lawyer states. Bella just sits there and smiles at him, at the same time that Cole is now seriously hiding his face behind a piece of paper. Cole is keeping the sounds in, but his face is a tell all of the humor he finds in the whole matter right now.

"Miss Swan, do you understand what he's asking ?" The judge asks her looking concerned.

"Yes," Bella again gives a one word answer.

"Miss Swan, can you tell the court why you are not answering the question?" The judge now turns right around facing only her. I look to Cole as I hear him whisper to the district attorney, "Observe this." I turn my attention back to the judge talking to Bella.

"You are free to answer me right now, please explain to me why you are not answering the questions Mr. King's attorney is presenting you with," the judge asks.

"Well, your honor, you see he said that I could only say yes or no. The questions he asked could not be correctly answered with the word yes or no. I refuse to perjure myself in a court of law, it was best I did not answer at all. I figured if I tried he would get mad and start yelling at me the way he did when he yelled at the others. He scares me," Bella says biting her lip, looking like a little girl.

"Okay, Miss. Swan, I understand why you didn't answer. I assure you that you can answer his questions completely from here on out. Okay?" The judge asks, as Cole smiles right at me. I realize this was Bella's plan all along. She made it so the judge would allow her to fully answer all the questions, without Royce's attorney interrupting or raising his voice at her.

"Objection," Royce's lawyer yells.

"What is it you are objecting to?" The judge asks.

"Miss Swan is no child, and with all due respect your honor, you cannot coddle her."

"Your objection is overruled, and you can sit down. Miss Swan will only be asked the questions that you yourself asked her, in your exact words. The court reporter please read back the original question, allowing Miss Swan to answer," the judge states.

"Miss. Swan, Miss. Hale lied about dating Edward, right?" The court reporter reads off her printout.

"No, she did not lie. She withheld the truth, but she was forced to do so. You see, Dr. Cullen and his son Emmett assumed that she was dating Edward. Therefore, they would constantly badger Rose and said things that were half true, and she had no correct way to answer. At first she was asked to lie and she did lie, but not with her words; it was more a lack of words. She never agreed that she was dating Edward, she agreed to other things. Like the trip to Chicago, they approached her and said I know you were in Chicago all summer, you were with Edward, I bet you had fun. Well, in that sentence two of the things were true and one was not, but much like the defendant's attorney did with me moments ago, they did to Rose, and only accepted a yes or no answer. So yes she was in Chicago and yes she had fun, but no she was not with Edward. I know this for certain, because he was there with me."

"Miss Swan did Rose lie?" the judge asks Bella.

"Yes, your honor, but at the same time I don't think she did. She only agreed with what Dr. Cullen said. Here is how I see it, your honor, if Cole over there said that he," she points at Royce's lawyer, "had an eight inch package in his pants, and I agreed, but in fact he only has a three inch package at best, does that make me a liar? I just agreed and gave the answer everyone wanted to hear. Does that mean that I lied? Of course it does, but only because I agreed with what someone said and was not willing to argue a point that was moot anyway."

"I understand, Miss Swan, thank you for your patience in this matter." The judge turns back to Royce's attorney. "Do you have further questions for this young lady?"

"Yes, your honor."

"I suggest that you keep your questioning in a normal tone, and don't cause me a reason to find you in contempt of court."

The lawyer taps his fingers, and then stands back up. "So, Miss Swan, after all of that about perceptions, how do you know that you did not misinterpret what happened between Miss Hale and Mr. King, since it was just role play that you and Mr. Cullen interrupted?"

Bella looked at Rose, and shook her head. "No one is that good of an actor. If she wanted to do something like that outside, then why not at one of the many warehouses that Mr. King's family owns. That would mean no interruptions apart from the security guards, who are paid by Mr. King and would have walked away. Not to mention the clothes she wore, nothing about what she had on said 'rip them I don't care'. She wouldn't have worn her favorite shirt, or jeans that would take a lot of work to remove. She would have had extra clothing with her to get home in. The cut to her face, even people that are into role play, knife and blood play don't usually cut the face of the person they are doing that with. Those actions are almost always covered by a contracted partnership between two people, and done in a safe and sterile environment. Edward and I arrived just as he was cutting her. At no time did Rose have a knife. There is a difference between role play and real, a difference between rough sex, and attempted gang rape. Also to completely answer your question, at no point when we got there did Mr. King, or any of his friends hold up their hands, or just say that she was willing. If they were willing and she wanted it, why did they run away?"

"You are not asking the questions, Miss. Swan. How do you know that you are not misinterpreting what you say you saw?"

"Nothing in their actions said that Rose agreed to the brutality we came upon in that alley. They all knew that I called the police, and yet none of them stayed to tell, what _you_ say is, the truth. They ran; that sure doesn't seem innocent to me. Rose made it clear that she did _not_ want what they were doing. She was scared and _definitely_ not turned on."

The lawyer kept trying to reword it and get Bella to change her theory, but my girl is strong and kept turning the tables back on the prick. Finally, I heard the best thing he could say come from his mouth. "No more questions, your honor." Bella smiles and steps down. Rose hugs her as she comes over to sit back down with us. We are told to leave shortly after the state rests their case. We have to be back at nine am in the morning, first up to be on the stand is Royce.

**11 February 2011**

The trial is over and we just got a phone call saying that the jury is back with a verdict. They have taken six days to reach a verdict. Of course, they were excused for the weekend last Friday, but the jury reconvened Monday. We have been on pins and needles awaiting the ruling. We are all in the courtroom. I'm next to Bella with Rose sitting on her other side; she is holding Rose's hand. Mrs. Hale is on her other side holding her other hand. The guys are all sitting behind us. As the judge comes in and takes his seat, I put my arm around Bella placing my hand on Rose's shoulder to show my support.

"Will the foreman please rise," the judge orders. The woman at the far end stands up. "Have you reached a verdict?"

"Yes, your honor," she nods at him as she hands over a piece of paper to the court clerk. The clerk takes the paper to the judge who looks at it and hands it back to the clerk to return to the lady foreman.

"Mr. King, Mr. Smith, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. White, please stand," the judge orders. They all stand along with their attorney and the smirks they give make it seem as if they know they have gotten off. "In the case of the State of Washington versus King, Smith, Taylor, and White, what say you?" The judge asks.

"On the charge of sexual assault, we the jury find the defendants guilty. On the charge of attempted rape, we the jury find the defendants guilty." Rose starts to sob. "On the charge of assault with the intent to cause harm, we the jury find the defendants guilty. On the charge of possession of a weapon during a hate crime, we the jury find the defendants guilty."

By the time they have read out each charge, and given the verdict of guilty, Rose is sobbing. As she holds on to Bella, I hold them both. Rose's mom is also breaking down, Cole leaps over the railing between them and is holding onto her.

"I would like to thank the jury for their service to the court and state. You are now excused, we will reconvene on Monday the fourteenth of February for the sentencing hearing," states the judge. The jurors stand up and leave by the side door, I can see some of them are crying. "Mr. King, Mr. Smith, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. White, there will be a sentencing hearing held on the fourteenth."

"Your honor, my clients wish to have the sentencing issued by the court not the jury," says Royce's attorney.

"The court agrees to this matter, unless the district attorney has any objections," he states.

"No, your honor, the State is agreeable."

"So be it; I'm going to bring forth the sentencing now, unless there is a victim statement from Miss Hale that needs to be heard?" The judge asks. Rose is unable to answer verbally, but shakes her head as Bella hugs her close.

"Miss Hale has nothing to say, your honor," the District Attorney states.

"I see," the judge says. "In the matter of the State of Washington versus Mr. King, Mr. Smith, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. White, you have all been found guilty of the charges brought against you. On the count of sexual assault, you are each sentenced to ten years in state prison, a twenty thousand dollar fine with five years of probation at the end of the sentence. You will also all have to attend and pass a sexual offenders' class and be placed on the sexual offenders' registry for no less than five years after you're released from prison. On the charge of attempted rape, you're each given two years, a five thousand dollar fine with two years of probation and two years on the registry. On the charge of assault with intent to cause bodily injury, you are sentenced to one year in prison, with one year probation. On the charge of possession of a weapon during a hate crime, you are sentenced to ten years in prison, twenty thousand dollar fine and five years of probation. These sentences will be served in a maximum security Washington state prison and will be served consecutively. None of you will be eligible for parole for the term of less than fifteen years. All of the fines and the sexual assault classes must be completed in order to be eligible for parole. There will also be a no contact order in effect as of this day that will follow throughout the lifetime of Miss. Hale. Do not contact her; do not even consider having someone else contact her. I will personally see to it that you are all held responsible for the actions should you bring any to her. Bailiff, please remove the guilty parties from the courtroom and they are to be incarcerated immediately. Court is now adjourned," the judge says as he slams the gavel down.

We head back to Rose's apartment to have a quiet dinner there. Rose is pretty worn out after everything that happened these past two weeks with the court case. I'm just glad that not only was justice on her side, but they got put away for a long time. According to Cole, the judge's sister was a victim of rape and the person got let off due to lack of evidence. The rapist then raped her again and she killed herself. He was only nineteen at the time, but the judge always gives tougher punishments in cases like Rose's.

Rose fell asleep just as Bella and I are doing the dishes. Cole carries her into her room and Bella helps Mrs. Hale change her before we all leave for the night. It's still early, so Bella and I take a walk around the park.

"Mrs. Hale seems to think that now the case is over Rose will be better. She said that Rose has been crying in her sleep," Bella says in a small voice, shaking her head.

"I wish it were that easy, but we just need to help Mrs. Hale realize that Rose needs time. Has Rose said anything more to her about talking to someone about what happened?" I ask knowing that it's not a good chance that she has. Rose is a very private person and doesn't let people get too close to the real her.

Bella shakes her head. "No, I told her that there's a support group for victims of rape, but she refused to go saying that we stopped it before the rape, so she doesn't need to go." Bella sighs, "I may have done something bad." I turn to her, raising my eyebrows questioningly waiting for her to elaborate.

"Watch where you're going, you big fucker."

Bella stops and we both turn to a large group of guys across from us. I start walking, pulling Bella to where my car is hoping the argument with the guys does not get out of hand. I feel Bella pull my arm as she begins speaking again. "There was another group for victims who have gone through a bad experience such as kidnapping." I knew Bella was looking for something like this. "I kind of told her about wanting to go for myself. I kind of hinted to her that I didn't want you there, in case you would get upset." I know that she just made this up for Rose's sake, so I'm not upset at all. "It worked, she offered to come with me," she says smiling.

"Bella, you're such a mastermind, she freaked when she thought it was about her. But you found a way to help both of you at the same time. You're so smart and I love you so much. You really do amaze me baby, you not only found her help, but are willing to go with her to help her. In the process you're also helping yourself, too. I'm glad that you are going, and I'm so lucky to have you in my life. I will always be here for you if you need me. You know that, right?" I ask her, as she nods _yes_. I pull her in and kiss her fully on her mouth.

"Look asshole, I think you need to go home before you get hurt."

I look over my shoulder and see that a few guys are all going after some guy who appears to have been drinking. "I think we better go," I say. She nods and we go to her side of the car.

"You fucking prick, you're going to get it now," we hear as I open the door for Bella. I look at her because she's just standing there. She's not getting in, but looking at the group of guys.

"Oh shit, Edward, that's Emmett that those guys are yelling at." Bella points over to the group of guys. I turn and look just as one of the guys punches Emmett in the face. No matter what he has said or done in the past few months, he's still my brother in my mind. Emmett is about to get the shit beat out of him for the love of God and all that's holy!

I turn to Bella, as I head over to the group. "Please don't do anything stupid, or it will lead to me killing one of these guys," I beg her, as I run as fast as I can to where Emmett is.

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**A/N: So even with all Emmett and the other Cullens have done, he is still going to attempt to rescue him? Thoughts? What did you think of Esme's visit? Don't you love how Bella managed to outsmart the idiots in court? Love this Bella so much.  
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	27. Chapter 27

**Last one for tonight. More tomorrow.**

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******HIGHLY EDITED AT FFN FOR CONTENT. UNEDITED VERSIONS POSTED AT TWCS AND FICPAD.****  
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**Chapter 27: Everything Is Coming Together**

**11th of February 2011**

"Hey, hey, hey, come on guys. He's in no condition to fight you, or even walk for that matter," I shout as I run up to them, and stand in front of Emmett.

"Fuck you, you fucking prick. Fuck off and mind your own damn business," Emmett slurs out. As he tries to stand and not doing so well at it; he can't even push me out the way.

"There you go stranger, he doesn't want your help," the one that hit him says. As he takes off his jacket, all the other guys laugh at this.

"Look here man – this guy isn't capable of fighting you right now. Here take this – it's a couple of hundred bucks, go party on me. Come on man, just turn around and leave," I say handing him the money.

"You fucker, there you go again. Paying people off, like always, just like Dad says. You're such a douchebag," Emmett starts swaying as he speaks. "Hey you, where the fuck did you go?" Emmett looks around, before seeing the guys walking away. "You are all a fucking bunch of pansies. You're just chicken shits – know that I…" Emmett hits his chest, barely, "I, even drunk could kick your ass. You're just lucky, cuz after I kick your ass I was gonna fuck your girlfriend in her ass. Naw, never mind, I wouldn't do that cuz that bitch is ugly, she looks like a guy." Emmett keeps going, with more insults and threats. "No offense sweetheart," Emmett says looking at the guy's friend, not the girl standing there.

"Emmett, shut the fuck up. That is not his girlfriend, it's another dude."

Emmett looks at me surprised. "But she-man there has got a skirt on. Is he-she one of them?" He loudly whisper-yells his question at me. I shake my head; I can see that the other guy now wants to get involved.

"Fuck, Emmett, shut up, for fuck's sake. The guy is not wearing a skirt, that's a kilt, you nitwit."

"Oh, so he's Scottish?" Emmett asks slurring, while almost falling back on his ass. I shake my head holding up my hands.

"Man, I'm really sorry. He's not usually like this, please let me take him home. Look man, I've got another couple hundred on me, take it, go party and let me get this drunken fool some place to sober up. I know he's acting like a fool, but he's really drunk and has been through a lot lately."

The Scottish guy looks at me. "Look here, sonny, if he were in Glasgow, he'd be dead for some of the stuff he said. Now I'm gonna let it go because I have been wasted myself, but would suggest that you gag him the next time he goes out drinking."

I thank him and turn to other big dude, Emmett has been insulting. "Well, I'm not gonna let it go, and if I need to kick your ass first then so be it," he says pulling back his fist.

"I really wouldn't do that if I were you!"

_Please no! God what the fuck did I do?_ I look to see Bella standing in front of me. I try and pull her behind me, but she won't budge.

"You have got to be shitting me you're gonna to hide behind your girlfriend? You think that will stop me? Well, you got another think coming," he says laughing. Bella starts laughing, too, he stops and looks at her as if she's crazy.

"I didn't say I was going to stop you, but I think they will," Bella says pointing behind him. I see seven very large bouncer-type dudes coming over.

"Is this the guys, Bella?" Bella nods. "Hi guys, see little Bella here told us you're looking for a fight. See little Mitch here is looking for one, too," the guy says laughing again.

"I'll beat the shit out of Little Mitch, and then take them two out. I'll still have time to get a drink in with this little firecracker, and that makes it all the better."

I'm about to go off on the fucker as Bella holds out her arm shaking her head with a smirk on her face.

"Little Mitch, he says he's up for the fight," the mouth of the bouncer pack says. Just then I see the biggest guy I have ever seen in my life come round the corner. Fuck, this guy is scary looking; he could go toe to toe with Jaws. Jaws, now there is a good name for him! The closer he gets the bigger he looks. The guy who said he would fight Jaws looks like he is about to crap his pants and suddenly he just passes out.

"Shit, I didn't even get to hit him," Jaws says. I look at Bella who walks over to him smiling.

"Thanks for helping," she says as he picks her up and hugs her.

"No problem, Bells, just remember my cake."

She nods at him and walks back over to me. "We better go before he wakes up," she says looking down.

"Which one?" I ask as Emmett is now fast asleep.

"Both," she says laughing like the whole situation is hilarious. I nod. I pick up Emmett and struggle to get him to my car. When I stop after only making it about three feet, Jaws comes over. He picks Emmett up, and throws him over his shoulder and walks over to my car. I open the doors and he places Emmett in the back of my car.

"Thanks for helping me get him in the car, and for the fight," I say looking up.

He's smiling and nods. "You better tell him to watch himself; he's been drinking hard core here the last few nights. Each night he's been getting more and more drunk, not to mention that he has been causing other fights as well. Tell him he is now barred for the next ninety days." I agree to tell Emmett, as I get in my car.

As we leave I turn to Bella. "Bella, so how do you know Jaws?"

She looks at me strangely. "Jaws?"

"Yeah, the really big guy," I say.

She laughs, "You mean Mitch. He went to college with Martin and Cole. He just moved back here. They are going to freak. I was surprised to see him; he said he was planning to help you out if you couldn't talk them out of fighting."

"Bella, should I be worried about all the big guys you know? I've never met so many people that I need to look up at to talk to them before." She just laughs as we arrive home. Bella helps me drag Emmett's ass to bed.

The next morning I wake up, and Bella is not in bed. I head for the kitchen, as I get close I hear Emmett and Bella talking.

"So, you and Edward are together then?" Emmett asks in a surprised tone, she must have nodded her reply, because I did not hear her say anything. "I don't know why you're with him. You know that he is sleeping with that skank Rose," he says raising his voice a little.

"Rose is not a skank, and Edward and she are only friends. There never will be, nor never has there been anything physical between them." Bella keeps her voice level as she speaks, but I know, she getting pissed at him.

"Yeah, that's what they want you to think. Maybe me and you should get together for some good times, and to teach them a lesson."

_Sonofabitch. _

"Look, Emmett, that will never happen, ever. Can you move back please, you're a little close?" Her voice has changed. She sounds a little scared. I storm into the kitchen in time to see Emmett making an ass of himself as he goes to pull Bella back toward him, while she tries to move away. I walk over to them, as she falls into his lap. "Emmett Cullen, let me go right now," her tone has taken the mother tone to it.

"No, I think I like you right here," he says like a child. She looks at me, rolls her eyes as she pulls herself up just for him to pull her back.

"Emmett, let her go," I order. He turns to me, and notices for the first time that I'm in the room.

"Sorry, but it looks like she leaves your two-timing ass for me."

I rub my face and see a bottle of Jack sitting empty next to the sink. I realize that Emmett has been up drinking it, and is still fall-down drunk.

"Fine, but she needs to get her clothes on. She can't leave here in pajamas, can she?" I ask him, giving him a pleading look. He lets her up, after kissing her hand, which she wipes on her tank top.

"I got your girl," he laughs loudly. "Now you're going to feel how I felt."

Bella looks at me from the door, I tell her with my eyes to go. I know that she'll be better off being away, when Emmett's like this. I start making coffee to try to help Emmett sober up.

"I saw you. I saw the both of you," he says looking at me as I give him the coffee.

"You saw us where, Emmett?"

He just laughs then looking really sad. "When you were with my girl. What you did with her." I look at him unsure what to say. "You're such a dip shit, Emmy." Ah, he is talking aloud to himself, he keeps mumbling as Bella comes back in the room.

"I called Rose, she's coming over. We will be in the park if you need us. Cole is on his way; he's coming in, but staying in the living room just in case." I pull her in for a hug, kissing the side of her head. "If his dumb ass hits you again, and leaves a mark on you, I swear to God and all that's holy I will pound his ass myself." I love it when Bella goes all angry kitten. I also know that she meant each and every word she said. I kiss her deeply, and watch as she goes out the kitchen door. After a few minutes I hear Bella leave with Rose.

When I turn back to Emmett, he's still talking to himself. He seems to be giving himself a hard talking to, and apparently never knew that Bella was in the room. "Emmett, do you need a shower or something?" I ask, and he shakes his head. "Okay then, how about some more coffee?" I say as I pour more out, he nods and takes it from me.

"Rose dumped me, and it's all your fault," he points at me.

_Okay, now that's it – I have had it!_ "What the fuck are you talking about? I mean, really even if…THE KEY WORD IS _IF _IN CASE YOU MISSED THAT… even if I was dating Rose… which I'm NOT! She dumped your ass because you were flirting with other girls, and saying all kinds of the negative stuff you didn't like about her to other girls. Which I might add is wrong, but what's even more wrong than that was you were stupid enough to have her hear you say it. Of course, she dumped your ass, that's exactly what you deserved for being a complete ass!" I can't help but shout this, everyone is blaming Rose, and I'm sick of it. Fuck, I'm proud that she dumped his ass. I couldn't believe what he had said to other girls about her. I would never have believed it, if Rose didn't show us the tape she was given of him saying it. Emmett is such a fucking prick.

"I was there. I saw you all of you." I look at him unsure to what he talking about now. "At the courthouse, I saw you there. I went; I wanted to know what happened. I saw you with Rose," he says.

I sigh, trying not to get more pissed at him. "Yeah, Bella wanted to be there for her. We were witnesses, too, since we stopped them from hurting her worse than they did."

He looks up at me. "Royce was my friend. The only one I had that didn't think the sun shined out of your ass. He was the one that said that you were dating Rose. He told me that he saw you two together. I shrugged it off; I knew that she liked you. I would have to be blind not to see that, but you had no interest in her. Or, so I thought, but then she dumped me. Some guy came up to me asking if I was still dating Rose, because he saw her with some other guy. He described you; I didn't see why he would lie." Fucking Royce, Aro put a lot of thought in making this believable. "But then, when I saw you at the courthouse. The way you look at Bella, you look at her like she is your lifeline." I hear my front door close; I peek out to see Cole move into the living room.

"Emmett, she _is_ my lifeline. I love her, she's my everything," he laughs at me.

"Then why are you fucking Rose? Or have you dumped her ass for a better model?"

I shake my head at him. "What do I have to say to get you to believe that I have not been with Rose like that?"

He mutters to himself, and then looks up at me. "I don't get why Royce would go for her. He knew how I felt, how I still feel, why would he do that?"

I sigh; I know that I need to tell him everything that has happened. Maybe that way it will help him, at least I hope it will. "I need to tell you something, Emmett. I just need you to listen; it could help clear things up for you. I'm going to have Cole come in here, because there are things he knows better than I do." He nods, and I call Cole in to help. I know there's no way I'm going to get through this alone.

It takes over hour to get through it all. Cole ends up telling Emmett most of it, because I just couldn't get through it. It's been five minutes since we've sat in silence.

"Holy fuck, but Mom and Dad haven't said anything about any of this. They have been arguing so much. I heard your name, but no wonder she's so pissed. I felt sorry for Dad, because he was sleeping on the couch." He stops and sighs and runs his fingers through his hair, _I guess that is a family trait_. "Royce was so fucking good, I believed everything the fucker said. He was the one that got me flirting with other girls the whole time. He instigated the things that were said. I was drunk and listening to someone who was 'trying'," he made the air quotes with the word, "to help me in my college life. I listened and now I lost my soul mate," he says with tears running down his face. I put my hand on his shoulder, he shrugs it off. "I don't deserve your comfort, or your sympathy. Not after what I did to you, or fuck, what I said and did to Bella this morning. Man, I'm so sorry, you don't even know how much I hate myself right now, I'm such a douchebag."

Cole's head had snapped up and the mention of Bella's name; I shake my head at him. "Bella knows that you were still a bit drunk, and that you didn't really mean it."

I quickly tell Cole what happened before he hits Emmett. "Grow the fuck up, Emmett, really, you fucked up big time. Sitting here feeling sorry for yourself, and what you have done and lost is not helping. Man it up," Cole says looking right at Emmett as he talks. "Let's just get everything out, because there's more to what you did to Edward than just about some girl."

With Cole's help, Emmett and I talk it all out. It turns out he was jealous about Carlisle wanting me to become a doctor. Carlisle never put that much faith in Emmett and he was a little jealous. To add to that, the first girl he ever liked, wanted me. Then he believed that I took her from him, it was all too much for him.

By the end, Emmett thanked me for helping save Rose. He also realized that Rose didn't really like me; it was all about trying to make her dad happy. It was all based on what her dad wanted, not what she wanted. I also see the mistakes that he had made with Rose. Before leaving he wrote a letter to Rose. He even got Cole and me to help him with it. He wants to ask her for forgiveness and if after he gets some help with his alcoholism, he wants to see if they can start over and be friends again. He confessed to us and her that he's been drinking every day the past few months.

After Emmett leaves, I text Bella, and tell her it's safe to come back. I give Rose the letter and watch how she cries as she reads it. Both Rose and Bella are happy that he's starting to see that he was on the wrong path.

**1st of March 2011**

Bella has gotten her cast removed; it took a few extra weeks for her leg to heal. It's almost back to normal, but it still hurts her now and again. Esme and Emmett have both been seeing someone to help them get over what has been happening these last few months. Esme is still getting a divorce, and has moved out of the family home. She's staying in Seattle, and is trying to help Emmett. Esme even attends his AA meetings with him.

Emmett is doing really well; he pulled out of college for the year, until he gets a grip on himself. He says he would like to become a doctor, and work with children. He's doing some volunteer work at Seattle hospital to see how it goes, before applying to begin pre-med courses in September. I told him that I would help him in any way I could. As for alcohol, he has not touched a drop since that morning in my apartment. I know that it's only been a few weeks, but he's doing really well and really wants this. Emmett and I are almost back to normal, back to how we were when we were younger.

As for my and Esme's relationship, it's getting better each day. She calls me twice a week, and I call her twice a week. We see each other once a week for an hour at our family therapy sessions. Esme, Emmett, Peter and I mainly sit around and have coffee and chat for the hour. Peter says it's best for us to first reopen the doors of communication. As long as we are focused we will get the hard stuff covered eventually. It is therapy not a race, and until we can get Alice involved we will not fully heal.

Alice is a different story altogether. She is still living with Carlisle and is having a hard time with her parents breaking up. She feels all alone with not talking to Jasper, or Rose anymore. She is slowly closing herself off to everyone. I have tried to talk to her, but she will not speak to me. I've caught her being rude to Bella. I think she now blames her for everything that happened. In Alice's mind Carlisle and Jasper can't be at fault for their actions, someone else is to blame. Esme has tried to get her to talk to someone, but she has so far refused and has even tried to cut Esme off. Carlisle, right now, is being a complete jerk and letting Alice treat her mother terribly. The way things are going, Carlisle will certainly be in the running for worst father of the year, if there was such an award. Where in his mind, he is hurting Esme for leaving him; Alice is the one who is losing out. The fucker really needs to grow up and let go of all the shit he's been holding on to. It's now that I realize what Bella was talking about – forgiveness is important in order to move on with your life. If Carlisle could just see the mistakes he has made, or even forgive my father, he could move on, but instead he holds on to it, and it has taken over his life and he can't even see it.

As for Bella, she was called in to the coach's office. It turns out that because she missed some physical tests in gym, her grade has fallen. To make it up she has to take on some extra credit, she had to choose from cheerleading, or being one of the water providers for the football team. Bella being Bella chose football, saying that it was safer. The coach agreed with her. It was common knowledge around the school that Tanya tried to push Bella into the deep end of the pool, while she still had her cast on.

Bella doesn't have to do much at any of our games, but she's there at practices and helps the coach during games. All the guys love her, and were surprised that she could keep up with the physical side of her job. We all see her in gym and she's so bad at sports, but as soon as you take away the sport side of it, she's really not bad. We never let her carry a ball, even to help bring items to the field; it's just not safe for her. Coach has upped our exercise routine last week, thanks to Bella. She made the comment that what we were doing looked too easy, so he upped it and started pushing us a bit more.

Mrs. O'Connor has asked Bella and me to come by her office before we head home. That's where Bella and I are right now just waiting on her to call us in.

"Bella, Edward, come in please," she says. She motions for us to have a seat. "Well the grades are all in, you and Bella are done with everything. Bella just has the gym thing to finish for her to have her full 4.0 GPA. Edward, you are done as well. I know you both are still coming to classes for attendances and to help the teachers out. So I have new schedules for both of you. I thank you for doing this; it was really kind of both of you. I know a lot of people who are done before the school year came to a close, would just run away from school and never look back." Bella and I both smile at her. "Okay, Bella, you need twenty hours of physical gym to have an A, right now you've got a B. I know you can get those last few hours in, and say that once you do, you and Edward will be dead even at the head of the class. That means you are co-valedictorians. Now I only need one person for the speech," she says. At this both Bella and I say at the exact time.

"She'll do it."

"He'll do It."

We both point at each other, and say. "No, you."

Bella sighs. "Okay, I'll flip you for it." I'm so close to flipping her off as a joke, but one look at her face and I stop laughing. "Heads I win, tails you lose," she says. I nod at her, waving my hand for her to go. She flips the coin in the air and as it flips over and over in the air, I pray she gets it. I'm proud of her accomplishments and want her to be the one to give the speech. As the coin hits the desk, it bounces once, twice, spins and then slowly circles until it comes to a rest. Heads, dammit, it looks like I am making a speech. I pout and cross my arms over my chest, Bella giggles and Mrs. O'Conner stands.

"So, you two can go to the library and talk about the speech for a bit if you want." Bella and I stand and Mrs. O'Conner stands as well. As we make our way to the door. Mrs. O'Conner shakes Bella's hand and mine. "Friends," she says with a smile.

"Friends," Bella says. I'm still pouting.

Mrs. O'Conner chuckles and then gives me a sneaky smirk. "You know, Edward, the way you're acting maybe we have your grades wrong. I'm thinking your acting closer to the kindergarten or the first grade level right now." I jokingly stick my tongue out at her, and Bella lets a loud laugh roll out of her. "Edward, I am sure Bella will help you if you need it. The speech needs to be about eight minutes. No swearing or sexual innuendo allowed. I know it's going to be a bit hard because of all that's gone on here, but if you could keep the drama to a minimum that would be great." She talks for a few more minutes telling me about a website I could look at. I arrange another meeting for Bella and me next month, and we head out.

I sulk over to Bella who is waiting for me in my car singing along to the song that's playing on the radio. We have been taking turns with our cars; most of the time I end up driving. Bella says I make a bad backseat driver, and it's just easier to let me drive.

"I love you," she says, reaching over gives me a kiss.

"Hum," I huff out, but gladly kiss her back.

"Oh please, sweetie, say you forgive me. You know I don't like to talk to large groups," she says using her childlike voice, as she keeps kissing me. "Anyway, you know if you're doing the speech, I will need to give you something as a reward," her voice changes to be more sexy.

"Can I ask what the reward is?" I ask pulling her toward me.

"Well, Grandpa is out until late tonight, so we have the whole house to ourselves. I can show you if you like?" I see that Bella is blushing. I smile at her, and hurriedly drive home.

When we arrive home, I walk around to her side of the car. I open her door like normal, but this time I scoop her up into my arms and throw her over my shoulder. I run into the house and straight up to our room.

"So, now you've got me here, what do you plan on doing with me?" Bella asks, as she start taking off her shoes and jacket.

"Well, I was hoping that we could talk more about my reward for being valedictorian," I say, as Bella bites her lip.

"Well, you see, I was thinking and I want to try some stuff with you." She leans into me and slowly unbuttons my shirt, leaving me no question as to what she means. I push her hard up against the door, kissing her. I continued to kiss her as we remove each other clothes.

"I fucking love you so much," I say.

Bella goes to reply to me, but the thrust of my tongue in her mouth stops her words. I push her further against the door as my hands thread in her hair. I pull her head back to get better access to her neck, as my mouth finds pleasure in her skin. I travel my hand down her left side, along the hip and down her leg. I continue to rub my hand up and down her side. Finally grabbing her knee, I hike her leg up and around my waist. Bella uses her hands that are around my neck and in my hair to pull her up and she wraps her other leg around me, too. I start walking backwards toward our bed; my lips never leaving her body.

I know that this is all new to Bella, and I really want her to enjoy it. Bella and I have made out a lot, and we have touched each other and given each other pleasure. This is all new, completely for her, but also for me, too. We have talked about oral sex and both touched each other enough to be relaxed. We have talked about going all the way, but I'm happy with whatever she's comfortable with. I would be happy to just get her off, and watch her as her body pulses through an orgasm. I move down her body, slowly kissing her along the way.

I can see that she loves this. Oh God, she's so perfect for me, she enjoys everything that I love doing.

Bella pulls my head up and kisses me hard; I pull her more toward me. I can never get her close enough to me. Fuck, I love kissing this girl. I never thought that this could be like this. It's so different, kissing a woman I truly love. This, just kissing and barely much else, is deeper to me than anything else I have ever experienced.

Bella runs her hand down my body, and runs her fingers under the edge of my boxers. The only clothing I still have on.

I keep kissing her, moving back down her body.

I raise my head and look her in the eye.

"Come on, let's go shower," Bella tells me as she pushes against me. I pull myself up, pulling her as well, and I pick her up and carry her to the shower.

"You know that I can walk right?" she asks.

I slap her ass, and chuckle as she squeals. "Yeah, I know, but I love manhandling you. There will be plenty of times when I will carry you places, so you better get used to it," I tell her placing her down next to the shower.

"You can be a cave-ward at times, but I love it."

I slap her ass again playfully. "You better believe it, now be good and let's get cleaned up." I pull us into the shower now that it's warm enough to enter.

"No, I don't want to be a good girl. I think I like being bad. While I am thinking about it, I rather enjoy being dirty, too," she says with a coy look on her face.

I look at her, surprised about what she has just said. I know that she never minded me playfully swatting her ass. Not that I ever did it hard, but I never knew that she really _liked_ it, liked it! Fucking A, she is so fucking perfect for me.

I start kissing her and my mind wanders to everything I want to do with and to this girl. There are so many thoughts, so fucking much I want to do. Soon I will be with her all the way, and when that day comes, there will be no turning back.

I wash her up, and carry her to bed. I dry and dress her before tucking her in. I get dressed myself and lie down beside her. "I love you, baby girl," I say as I hold her close to me. She mumbles out a reply before snuggling into me.

If I haven't said it before, she's fucking perfect for me.

* * *

**A/N: So what are your thoughts? They haven't went all the way but they did dabble quite a bit. What are your thoughts on Emmett, Esme and Rose? Alice is still her normal cray cray self. See you tomorrow with much more.  
**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. First of three posts today. The epilogue will be the only thing left to post tomorrow.**

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**Chapter 28: The Volturi Trial**

**11th of May 2011**

The beginning of the year has flown by really fast. Jack has kept us informed on the matters involving Aro and his family. A few weeks ago, he let us know about the upcoming court hearing. The case was scheduled to start on the second of May; we got up that morning to find that Forks was once again was headline news. Bella and I have ignored the news as much as possible. We are getting our information straight from Jack and Martin.

Bella's picture has again appeared in the news, and of course the talk that follows. They used the picture of her that was obtained when she went missing. We both hate the publicity. My parents' murders have also been in the news, now that they have confirmed the killers. Thankfully no one knows that I am their son, for now my identity is still a secret.

So far we have been told that out of the now sixty-seven that have been arrested, twenty-three have plea bargained. With the plea agreements, they received reduced sentencing in exchange for willingly testifying against Aro and his brothers. Each will only have to serve about seven years of a fifteen year sentence. That is a good deal for them since most of them were facing forty years, or more.

Twenty plead guilty to everything they had done; they all got a reduced sentencing as well. They each were sentenced to twenty-five years, without chance of early release. If only they had been smart, they would have gotten out sooner, but they refused to give evidence against Aro and his brothers.

Rose's father was also offered a plea agreement originally. Jack was not happy about that at all, and fought it tooth and nail. None of us liked it, because of the part he played in Rose's attack. Jack dug and dug and finally found evidence that voided him of a plea. Mr. Hale was hands on involved, and took part in the slave trading side of Aro's business. Jack was disgusted to find that Mr. Hale had also used sex against some of the girls to 'help' them. Some girls were also raped, since most of the girls were sold into sex slavery we already knew that would be an issue, but didn't expect to find Rose's father involved in it.

Rose puked learning that one of the girls her father had raped was only seventeen. After everything was done the Judge held back nothing on him, giving him a double life sentence. He will never see freedom again. Rose asked Cole to arrange it so she could speak to her father before he left the court. Cole organized it for her, but told her that he was going to be in to the room too. Rose was about to argue the point, until Cole give her a look that made her shut up before a word was out of her mouth. I really need to get him to teach me those looks. I know him well, but his looks can be very intimidating and scary.

Rose's mother, after hearing the evidence, and finding out what her husband had done could not face him. She tried hard to talk Rose out of talking to him. Rose felt that she needed closure and did not want to have to go to a prison to get it. Rose came out of the closed court room fifteen minutes later. Rose got everything off her chest, she didn't hold anything back. When her father opened his mouth to pull her down verbally, she hit him, hard. He went to retaliate, only to have Cole stop him. Rose said Cole whispered something in his ear, and whatever it was apparently made Mr. Hale piss himself. We all have asked Cole what he said, but Cole has refused to tell us.

Fourteen of the people arrested were minors. They were mainly into the drug running side of things. They were all over the age of sixteen; seven of them were tried as adults because they refused a plea agreement. Those seven were given fifteen years in prison and five years of probation. The remaining nine minors are incarcerated at Echo Glen Children's Center, in Snoqualmie. It is a maximum security juvenile detention center. They have to remain there until they are the age of eighteen. Upon the age of eighteen they will be released on probation for a period of no less than five years. At the end of those five years their records will be sealed. That was the plea agreement they were offered.

There are only nine others of the original sixty-seven left to prosecute. Six of the nine left are actual family members in the Volturi brothers. The other three have been a part of the Volturi family's crimes since they first moved to the States. As they are facing several federal charges, the cases have been classified as closed. Because they are closed federal cases, we are unable to attend the actual hearings. Neither of us wanted to be there, and we were both relieved to know we did not have to be there. Martin and Jack have to appear in order to testify.

When Bella is not in gym classes, she is working with a student that has dyslexia; she is helping him write his final essay for English. I am in helping Miss Maggie O' Conner, the biology teacher, with the freshmen classes today. "Just to re-cap," I hold up the pointer to the first picture on the screen. "A negative blood has antigens which look like this." I move to the pointer to the second picture. Just as I am about to speak again, there is a loud knocking on the door.

Knock…Knock…

As the teacher gets the door, I continue on teaching the class the differences in the antigens in blood. I notice Miss O'Conner re-enter the classroom, and I know that something is up, as she approaches me at the head of the class. "AB is easy to recognize, as it has both A and B antigens." I show them the picture. "O has none of these. Now we are going to test our lab partner's blood type. Wear your provided gloves..."

I am cut off by Miss O' Conner. "Edward, Mrs. Cope would like a word with you." I look up and nod. "Okay class I have to step out now. Remember that after we put our blood in groups we then can look to see if the person is either positive or negative. If we are positive then we have the Rhesus factor, which is the monkey gene. If you do not find the Rhesus factor, then the blood type is negative." I walk away and head for Mrs. Cope who is waiting outside the classroom door.

"Edward, take your things," Miss O'Conner says, as she has collected my belongings and is bringing them over to me.

I start to feel on edge, worried over what is going on. "Thank you," I say as I take my things. She gives me a small nod before I head out to find Miss. Cope on her cell phone. When she sees me, she tells the person on the other end that she will call them back.

"Edward, Chief O'Conner just came to the school. He has gotten a court ordered summons by fax. He is not sure why, but it is an order for Bella to appear in federal court immediately. He called and confirmed that they want her there, and they want her as soon as possible."

My heart just about stops beating. I can feel the stress boiling through my veins. I look at her unsure of what is going on. "But, why? We were told that we were not needed, that we would not be called."

My rambling is cut short when Mrs. Cope places her hand on my arm. "I don't know, Edward. Mrs. O'Conner, gave her husband an earful, because he didn't know why either. Since Bella had to leave immediately, because Chief O'Conner was ordered to bring her himself, Mrs. O'Conner went with Bella. They left only five minutes ago, I haven't been able to reach Bella's grandfather or uncle so I came to you. You go find them, and here is Mrs. O'Conner's cell number. I would drive you, but I can't leave until the final bell."

I hold my hand out taking the number, and run out of the building. I run to my car and put on my hands free, so that I can drive. I bark out the name of Cole's office, into the voice dialer and wait as the connection is made. I know that Cole is in court, so his phone will be off. Once I get a hold of his secretary, I tell her to get hold of Cole immediately, I told her to call interrupting saying it was a family emergency. Once that was done, I try to get a hold of Grandpa. I am unable to get a hold of him. I know he has gone fishing and the cell tower is not good out there. I then call Sue, and ask her to find him. I tell her why, and ask her to have Harry take him to the courthouse in Seattle.

After screaming at other cars 'to get the fuck out of my way', I call Garrett. He was surprised, and told me that both Jack and Martin were out of the office. He assures me that he is sending out people to find them. When I was I about to ask why he was not going, he said that he will head straight to the courthouse to find out what is going on.

"For crying out loud, it's green, you moron move it," I start beeping my horn at the fucking stupid bitch in front of me. As I pass her I shout. "It's the vertical pedal on the right asshole!"

Ring… Ring…

I press the button to answer the phone. "What," I bark out. "Stupid, God damn slow drivers," I yell.

"Edward, what the hell wrong with you?" I hear Cole over my ranting.

"Chief O'Conner came to the school, he took Bella. Mrs. Cope said something about her being summoned to federal court. What the hell is going on Cole? I thought we weren't getting called? How can they just pull her out of school? Fuck she is still a minor! How can they do that, Cole, without giving her guardian notice? I mean fuck…"

"EDWARD!" Cole yells through the earpiece of the phone.

"Fuck Cole, I think you just burst…"

"Shut the hell up Edward! Jeez boy, give me a chance here okay?" I stop talking realizing that I have not given Cole the chance to answer anything that I have asked, and maybe not even given him time to register what is going on.

"First of all Edward, calm down. I can hear that you are driving and getting yourself killed will not get us any answers for this issue. Now, things like this _do_ happen from time to time, but it is very uncommon. However, the judge would only grant the order if there was good reason. I am here right now; I will see what I can find out. Since she is a minor the judge will ask to see her in his chambers first, before she will go into the courtroom. He will tell her why she has been called, if he feels that she's not up for it, or she can't add anything to the case he will refuse her as a witness. If he feels that she has something of importance to add, he will offer her the choice to either come back another day or give her testimony today since she does not have her legal guardian with her. Have you spoken to her, is she okay?"

I sigh getting more frustrated that I still don't know what the hell is going on. "No, I thought that it was better to get a hold of everyone first. I was about to call Mrs. O'Conner's cell phone when you called," I sigh out.

"Take some deep breaths before you call her. You don't want her to get worked up about you, also calm the fuck down! I will see you when you get here."

I start to speed up now, on the highway there is much less traffic. "Call Bella," I say and hear her phone ringing.

"Edward," her voice is small. I can hear how scared she is.

"Hey baby, don't worry I'm on my way. I shouldn't be too far behind you; you're going to be fine." There is silence on the other end from Bella, but I can her Mrs. O'Conner's voice. I can't tell what she is saying. "Bella, Baby girl, talk to me please," I plead with her.

"Edward, why? I don't know what they want from me; I mean what can I tell them, that some other person can't?"

I frown at what she asked. "I am not sure baby, but I will be there okay? You don't have to do this, you can tell the judge it is too much for you. You can even get him to call Peter; don't feel obligated to do anything. Cole is already there; call him when you are parking, and that way he can be right there to go in with you. He is your legal counsel of record, therefore he can be present with you, to assure that your best interests are being watched over. Baby, don't let those bastards intimidate you."

I hear her sigh a little. "When will this shit stop? It seems like every time we get past one hurdle something else is throwing another in front of us. Sweetie, I need to call Cole now, we are already here. Chief O'Conner is pulling into the courthouse parking ramp now. I love you, I will see you soon," she says.

I look at my clock working out how long it has been. She must have been gone longer than five minutes before Mrs. Cope got me, because I am still almost an hour from Seattle.

"Okay, baby I am still a hour away, but I'll be there as soon and as fast as I can. I love you so very much my little one," I say before hanging up and speeding up at the same time.

I go over what Bella had said about what she can tell them that no one else can. Each time I get a sinking feeling that the only thing she can tell them that no one else can, is what happened during my parents death. It is the only thing I can think of that she has information on. Cole had said that it was only hearsay. However, he was also worried that the graphic details that Bella was given and the death of Caius after he told her, it can be considered in federal court as a dying declaration. It only takes me another forty minutes to get to the courthouse, where I am met by Martin and Jack.

"Where is she? Did Cole manage to talk her out of going in?" I ask loudly, as I run down to them.

They both shake their heads. "No, she is in there now giving her testimony to the court. She has been in there for about ten minutes as of right now. Both Mrs. O'Conner and Cole are also in there with her," Jack tells me.

"But, why was she called? Did you see her before she went in?"

He shakes his head at me; as he pulls me down to sit. "This is Heidi," Martin says pointing to the women across from us. "She is Cole's secretary, she was here. She was actually here when you called her, his line was forwarded from the office to here, which is how Cole was able to call you back so fast. She is the one who let us know that they had gone into the courtroom, we just got here five minutes before you."

We sit and wait, well I am pacing up and down the hallway. Martin, Jack, Heidi, and Garrett sit on the benches along the wall. Grandpa has called, and he's on his way, but it will be at least an hour or more. It has been about thirty minutes, when suddenly there is a large commotion. We see federal officers running down the hall, and entering the courtroom.

"Martin that's courtroom six. Bella is in courtroom six," Heidi whispers out.

I start running down to the courtroom door. "Look sir, you need to step back, and stay away," the armed officer says. He is standing guard outside the door.

"But my girlfriend is in there, please let me in."

The guy shakes his head and gives me a sad smile. "I am sorry kid, but I can't let you in. They are clearing the courtroom." My hand goes to my hair and I start to panic, fuck!

Fuck! Fuck! Shit! What the fuck is going on!

Ring… Ring…

"Edward you need to calm down till we find out what is going on," Martin says grabbing my arm.

Ring… Ring…

"Hello…" Heidi says and starts waving her hand at us. "Okay, we will be there momentarily." She hangs up her phone and quickly comes over to us. "They're in the judge's chambers we can head over there right now, but we need to go the long way. Follow me," she says and at that she takes off toward the judge's chambers. We all follow her, and I am first in line wanting Bella beside me right now. "Okay here we are. I am going to stay out here and wait for your dad to get here, and I will stay out here with him. Cole says the judge plans to sequester you all in his chambers until the hearing is completed," Heidi tells Martin.

The federal guard outside the chamber door asks us all for ID and he checks us through the door after several minutes on his radio. Finally when we are let in, my heart breaks when I see Bella is curled up on Cole's lap. Mrs. O'Conner is rubbing circles on her back, and trying to soothe Bella. I make my way to her immediately and pick her up from Cole's lap. She quickly winds her arms around my neck and I can feel her warm wet breath on my neck. I sit on a sofa along the far wall, and whisper words of love to her, while trying to listen to what the man in the black robe is saying.

"I need you all to stay in this room for the next hour or two. No one leaves, or comes in. It is the only way I can tell you what has happened. All that is left to do in the case is closing statements, which will be wrapping up within the hour. Once the Jury is retired, I will be back in here until they reach a verdict. There is a restroom there," he points to the corner of the room. "There is a refrigerator here with drinks and snacks in it." He opens what looks like a panel of the wall and there is a fridge and microwave, along with what looks like a fairly well stocked food supply. "Please make yourselves comfortable. I don't think we will have wait too long for the verdict, but until we have one, she is to stay here. I can't let her leave, due to what happened in the courtroom. I think it is best that you know, I will allow Cole to fill you in so I can return to the courtroom." The Judge turns and points to a security guard. "Ben here will stay with you, but until the hearing is over he will be holding onto all of your cell phones. I've been informed that Charlie Swan, Bella's grandfather, will be here within the hour and Heidi is going to take him elsewhere until she hears from me."

"Baby girl," I say as I hugs Bella close to me, trying to get her attention. I need to see into her eyes. "Do you want something to drink my love?" I ask her. Cole has moved over beside me and sits down. I transfer her to him, so I can get her a sugary drink, hoping to keep her from going into full blown shock. As soon as I stand, she leaps off of Cole's lap and into my arms. The momentum of her movement sends us both to the floor. I had her tucked into me well, so I know she is not hurt. I just cuddle her into me, and hold her and let her know that I will not let her go. Cole gets up and brings me a bottle of apple juice, and a bag of M&M's. I coax Bella to take a few sips, and kiss her lips lightly. I look up see Mrs. O'Conner wiping her eyes, I smile at her, but the room remains silent for now. It only takes ten minutes until Bella's breathing evens out and she falls asleep. I know that the stress has caused her to more or less pass out, but just telling myself that she sleeping is easier.

"Okay, now that Bella is resting, what happened? Start from the top," Martin says, looking really angrily at Cole. I notice that Martin too, would rather think of Bella as resting instead of passed out.

"Judge Harris called her in chambers; he said that both I and Siobhan could stay with her. He explained that this was to do with the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Masen. He explained that there was more evidence needed and that the prosecuting attorney knew that Bella had knowledge of the murders. Because of Caius telling Bella about it all in great detail, he was asked to call her in to present a dying declaration. There was not enough evidence on some of the charges to get a complete guilty verdict. Your parents' murder being one of them, she agreed to give testimony on the happenings that she had knowledge of. The judge said he would call her to court the next day, and she asked for him to do it today, that she wanted it over and done with." He sighs rubbing his face, taking a drink he begins again. "Bella was determined to do it, both Siobhan and I were sworn in and were allowed to go in with her. Judge Harris ordered her to tell the court of everything that Caius told her about the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Masen. The judge ordered that the lawyers could not interrupt her, and that all of their questions for her, would have wait until she gave full testimony. Bella did well, going through everything. She had a few shaky moments, but all in all she did very well telling everything that happened that Caius told her. Jones, the prosecuting lawyer, said he had no questions. I promise you this; I will be having a fucking word or two with that stupid fuck very soon. Anyway the dipshit of a defense attorney stood up, he had a couple of questions," he said.

I could see that Cole was really agitated remembering this part, so I did my best to take a deep breath and remain relaxed, as to not disturb Bella, still sleeping in my arms.

"He asked Bella about what happened when Caius died. Bella went into great detail explaining how she ran away and he chased her. How she fought him off and hit him with a rock. The defense attorney interrupted her and asked her how it felt to have killed someone, and how she lived with herself being responsible for the death of another person. He even shouted out that she had already killed her own father, and now to kill an innocent man who had trumped up charges brought against his whole family. He went on to say that Bella was being paid off to lie about the Volturi family. Judge Harris jumped in at this point telling him he was out of line, and that the jury should not take anything the defense attorney just said into any context. Fuck, I was so mad at that point, I don't know what happened. One minute Aro is handcuffed in his seat, the next he's not and has bolted over to Bella. Thank God Judge Harris is fast, he pulled Bella behind him. He got hit in the process and that is where that shiner he is sporting came from."

I think back quickly, I didn't even notice the judge had a black eye.

"Anyway, he kept her behind him, as Aro was tackled by the guards. The whole time, Aro was screaming how he going to kill her, and kill you, Edward. He was stupid during his outburst, because he went on to say that you should have been dead along with your parents and would have been if he had found your hiding place that night. He gets away from the security guards again, and goes for Bella, but that time I stopped him."

"You did more that stop him Cole, you knocked the fucker unconscious with one hit," Mrs. O'Conner says.

Cole shrugs his shoulders. "Aro was carried from the courtroom, and Judge Harris cleared the courtroom, and allowed me over to her and let us use his chambers for her." Cole's voice broke at the end. It's clear that he is really upset over what happened. Martin is really pissed and I am struggling to keep calm but as I have Bella in my arms it's a little easier. I hear a sniff and see Mrs. O'Conner wipe her eyes again; I smile at her and thank her for being there for Bella.

Judge Harris allowed us to use this room, Bella woke up after sleeping for an hour. She stays in my lap. She is very quiet and doesn't talk much, but is worried over Grandpa. Cole laughs saying that Heidi is keeping him entertained and wiggles his eyebrows.

It's three hours later and we are told the jury reached a verdict. It only took an hour and a half. At this point Grandpa comes into the room with a smile and Heidi's holding onto his arm "See I still got the charm" his smile says as it all as he looks at Bella knowing now that something happened. He hugs her asking what was going on.

"Later Grandpa, did you have a nice dinner?" Bella ask sweetly. He nods his head and sits down as Cole looks over the charges. His face breaks into a smile. "Guilty on all charges, every single one. Good old Harris pulled the whole sentence them on the same day thing. I have to admit I love it when they do this. They got 306 years in total, each to be served at ADX Florence Supermax Facility in Florence, Colorado." We smile, knowing that it is by far the most restrictive of all prisons in the United States. There are only 490 beds in the facility and for the first full year there a prisoner is in solitary for all but one hour of each day. There are no interactions between prisoners and there are no telecommunications allowed in the facility whatsoever. We had all hoped that Aro and his family would be sentenced there, and are relieved to know they are.

The drive home is long. Grandpa rode with Bella and me. Mrs. O'Conner rode with her husband, but is still not on speaking terms with him. It's not that it was his fault that Bella was summoned; he was only doing his job.

**20th of May 2011**

The town of Forks has finally calmed down. All the news crews have left. Aro and his family were transferred to their new home yesterday, and I feel so much better. I am actually feeling calmer than I have in, well since I can remember. I think it is because I am finally able to put the ghosts of my past behind me.

I am at school again; I am heading to lunch happily knowing that I get to see Bella again. Since I only see her at lunch, gym, and football practice, this is one of my favorite times of the day. She still goes to gym and football practices, even after she made up all her missed time. Rock was happy, and sad about that. The guys on the other hand love it because she makes the most amazing muffins and brings them, along with juice to eat and drink after our workouts. Rock is sad, he has started to complain that it's not healthy and this and that, but it didn't stop him eating three or four of them each time.

I am sitting here looking around the room at my classmates; most of us have all grown up together. I have known almost all of them since first grade. Some came here after that, but most I have known for at least eight years. In our grade, Bella is the newest member, and she has been with us for six years. It's strange looking back at what I have gone through here in Forks and at this school. I am still finding it hard to write the speech I am supposed to. I really don't know what to say, or tell them. Life is fucking hard, and there will always be something unexpected waiting around the corner. Only two things really count, how you handle the things around each corner, and who is beside you to help you face those things.

I let out a sigh looking at my watch thinking that Bella should really have been here by now.

"Edward," I look up as I see Seth waving me over to him. I get up and head over.

"Jacob just turned up. He cornered Bella when she came out of a class room, but me and the guys were in the next classroom. I left them with her to come get you, he's still there demanding to speak to her," Seth says really quickly. He drags me down the hallway, and as soon as the word Jacob comes out of his mouth, I speed up. As we get there I am fucking surprised that the whole football team is there standing in front of Bella, keeping Jacob away from her. The biggest surprise is who is in front of them, talking with Jacob. Standing there is Jasper, as we get close I hear what is being said.

"Jake, she said that she forgives you, and that she will read your letter, but, she doesn't want to talk to you, or be alone with you. You have to respect her choice; I have the letter, you need to go now. You're not allowed here, and you know this," Jasper's tone has sound of authority to it.

Jacob huffs and tries to step around Jasper. "Bella we're friends. I am your best friend, come on. I need you, why won't you talk to me. I just need to talk to you, to tell you I am sorry, please."

I try and keep my temper under control. I see Jacob start to shake, as Bella shakes her head at him.

"I have already told you that I have forgiven you, but I can't talk to you. Not now, not for a long time from now. I won't be friends with you again; I don't want you in my life." Bella is trying to sound confident, but I can hear the hurt in her voice.

"For fuck's sake Bella, you're such a self-righteous bitch. What are you doing now, gang-banging the whole second string of shitty players on the football team?" By now I am right there standing with the rest of the team, as I go to hit the fucker in the face. Jasper grabs me and pushes me behind him. "What the fuck do you want Cullen? This has nothing to do with you, so fuck off and take those shitheads with you!" Jacob nods in the direction of the football team. "I need some time with my best friend," he says. He looks right at Bella. "Bells, come on you can never stay made at me. Look, I will try and keep my hands to myself, and take things slow. I will be your pussy ass friend, and be all sweet and goofy for you, but you have to give me a chance. You know we belong together, you are MINE!" Jacob chooses then to step forward, only to have the team push him back by stepping forward too.

"No, Jacob I am his," Bella says running her hand down my arm and taking my hand. "I am not yours, and I never was. I. DO. NOT. LOVE. YOU. I just can't, there is too much that happened. You have done too much for me to let you back in my life, and even now what you are doing, shows that you have not, and will not change." Bella leans into me, taking my hand from hers and putting it around her.

I hold her close, and she holds my other hand now that my arm is securely around her body. Jacob reacts to her cuddling into me, and lunges for me. This time Jasper stops him, and has him on the floor as the other guys all help restrain him. It feels like minutes later when Chief and Mrs. O'Conner come running up to us, followed by two other office staff.

Jacob is taken away as Mrs. O'Conner comes to check on everyone. Bella tells her she is fine, and we are all given an extended lunch period due to the fact that we all missed it. I pull Bella aside, as I want to know what happened before I got there. "What happened Bella? Did he hurt you before I got there, if he..."

Bella cuts me off by placing her hand over my mouth. "No, I was coming out of the classroom with Seth, Richard, and Simon behind me. Jake grabbed my arm and pulled me, the next thing I knew Jasper pulled me away placing me behind him. He called out to all the guys to block me. Jacob just kept saying the same things you heard. Once a few more of the guys were here Jasper nodded at Seth to go and get you, and Richard went to get Mrs. O'Conner." I am breathing hard, as I try calm down. "I am fine, and I have faced most of my demons. In a way it's a good thing, because I can leave this stuff here when we go to college." I nod my head at her, and we head to the cafeteria.

"Thank you all, so much, for helping me out there," Bella says in a small voice as we join the rest of the guys. I know she is touched by what they did for her. I know I am fucking proud that they did that for her.

"Like we were going to let anyone, or anything come in between us and our muffins. I mean team helper," Ben says as the rest of the guys laugh nodding their heads at what he said. "No, just kidding, but really Bella, you're one of us now. We look after each other, both on and off the field. Well, and you do make fucking amazing muffins," again they all laugh. I watch as Bella walks over to Jasper, who is sitting across from us. They talk for few moments, before she comes back over to me. I look over at my former friend; all I can see is sadness.

Bella gives me a small push in Jasper's direction, as she turns, talking to the guys again about making them a special dinner to thank them. They are almost drooling, as Seth tells everyone how great of a cook she is.

"Hey, can I sit here?" I ask, looking at Jasper as I speak. He nods his head and motions with his hand to have a seat. "I just wanted to thank you for helping Bella back there, and for not letting him hit me." My voice is beginning to give away the emotion I feel.

"No problem, as I said to Bella, he was out of line. Not that I am changing the subject, but I am sorry for being a dickhead. I was a dirty, rotten, horrible jerk, and I was the last thing you deserved when you needed a friend. I know that I don't deserve it, but I sure do miss my best friend. If you can find it in your heart to forgive this good for nothing, low life scoundrel, I'd sure appreciate it."

I laugh a little about the name he gave himself. "How are you getting on?" I ask trying to size him up, and see if he is telling me the truth.

"Shit man, I am really not doing the best. This is so fucking hard, but as Bella said, anything that easy to get into is always hard to get out of, but not imposable. Just take one step at a time." I nod my head at him, but stay quiet to let him speak. "I really don't know what to tell you. I started taking stuff mainly as an upper, after Maria and I broke up. I just felt so fucking down. I took more to make myself happy. I felt so fucking bad; it felt like I could only be happy when I was taking drugs. Then, Alice asked me out, and I was so drugged out that I didn't even think before I said yes to her. Don't get me wrong, I like Alice. I fucking love her, but I fucking hurt her. Not only that, but I hurt my two best friends who are her brothers. I should have spoken to you first; I know you would have helped me. It was a shitty thing to do to you, Emmett, and especially to her."

Jasper stops talking for a few seconds, and I can see that telling me all of this is hard, but he has to do it.

"Anyway, when Alice and I started dating she was so happy. I started taking more stuff to try and keep up with her. The road just went to hell from there. By the time you left for music camp, I was taking uppers, smoking pot daily, plus taking steroids. When the whole thing about Rose came out, I was still pissed at myself for what I did to you and what I was doing to Alice. I took everything out on you; I used you as my punching bag so to speak. Rose and I have talked; she gave me a good kick in the ass. I am not going to ask forgiveness, because I was in a bad place. But I am sorry for using you and Rose to vent my anger. To leave this on a high note, I am still struggling to keep clean, but I go to a support group, and I'm still graduating. I've got enough credits to get into the local college. I am not better yet, far from it actually, but I am on the road to recovery."

He clears his throat, nods his head, and gets up and goes to leave. I grip his arm, to stop him in his tracks.

"You may not have asked for it, or want it, but you do and will always have my forgiveness. If you need me to have your back then I will, I know you can get through this. One step at a time." Jasper nods his head, and walks out.

We finish off the rest of the day without anything else happening. Bella and I are watching the television, when the phone rings. It is Jessica, and Bella takes the call in the kitchen. I paused the DVR so Bella doesn't miss anything important, and when she comes back into the room, she has a huge smile on her face.

"She had a baby boy this morning. He weighs five pounds and three ounces. He is on the small side, but plenty big for being four weeks early. She sounded so tired, I told her to get some rest. She mentioned that she had been in labor for sixteen hours, but she still sounded happy." The whole time Bella is talking to me, she is watching her phone intently. When the phone she is watching chirps, she gets all excited. I can see the excitement rolling off of her. "Oh my God, he so cute," Bella says.

She shows me the picture of Jessica's baby and she's right, he is a cutie. "Yeah he is, has she named him yet?" I ask, as I hand her back her phone as another text comes through.

"No. She called Mike to let him know they took the DNA test on the baby. She is hoping once Mike does his part and it comes back as his, he may change his mind and want to take part in naming him. She said that they were getting the test fast tracked, and they should have the results in four days. But right now, she is calling him Junior."

I hope Mike doesn't screw this up, but fuck, it is Mike Newton we're talking about, so of course he will. I watch as Bella looks at the picture Jessica sent her, until she makes an odd face. "What was that face for?" I ask with a chuckle.

"Poor little thing, he looks just like his father in this one." Bella gives me her phone again, and I can see what she means right away. It is like a baby faced Mike is looking right back at you, even the same blue eyes.

"Shit, I don't think the DNA test is really needed. I can't believe I said something that looks like Mike was a cutie." Bella smacks me on the arm for the last comment. "So, are we all set to send Jessica's presents to her?" I ask, and Bella nods her head.

"You get on the phone and get the first part sent there so it arrives tomorrow. I will make sure that the other stuff arrives on Monday." Bella smiles at me, before going back to looking at the picture of the baby.

Bella and I got a $250 gift card each for Jessica and her baby, to buy new clothes and supplies they would need. Bella also picked out ten books for him, and got me to pick out some decent classical music. Bella insisted that we had to make sure that the baby had a good start in those departments. Right now I am ordering a large bouquet of flowers and balloons to be sent to her room tomorrow morning, along with a large candy and fruit tray.

I just got off the phone, as Bella hugs me from behind. "I know that I'm only seventeen, but after seeing those pictures, I can't help thinking about what our babies will look like. I do hope we have one with your eye color."

I turn around look at her, and looking right in her eyes I smile. "I can't wait until then either, but I want our baby to have your beautiful brown eyes. So to be fair, I guess we have to have at least two babies." I lean in and kiss her deeply. With the movie long forgotten, we make our way to bed, still discussing what our family will have and how we hope they will look. God, I love this girl, and she is made for me. We are a perfect match.

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**A/N: So Jasper steps up and protects Bella, and finally talks to Edward. Jake is a bit of a loose cannon still, but at least Bella is well protected. What are your thoughts?  
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	29. Chapter 29

**All normal disclaimer apply, no copyright infringement intended in the use of Twilight Saga character, names, places, etc. The song Heaven was written by Jim Vallance and Bryan Adams, no ocpyright infringement intended in the use of the song in this chapter.**

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******HIGHLY EDITED AT FFN TO ABIDE BY TOS, UNEDITED VERSIONS CAN BE READ AT TWCS AND FICPAD******

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**Chapter 29: Prom and Graduation**

**25th of May 2011**

I'm here sitting here waiting for Grandpa, Martin, and Cole. I have asked to speak to the three of them privately and I'm sweating bullets. I can't keep my leg from bouncing as I hear Cole's car pull up in the driveway. The three of them had been out early this morning and promised to be here by lunch time. They come in and sit down across from me.

"Okay, I take it you have waited for Bella to go shopping for her last minute prom stuff with Rose, which means you don't want her to know about this?" Cole asks in his best impersonation of the Godfather.

"Well, no, okay, I kind of don't want her to know yet. I want to do things right, so this needs to be done without her here. I know the three of you are important to her, as you are to me. I want to ask you for your blessing before I ask Bella to marry me. I know that we are both young, and that she is two years younger than me, but age doesn't matter. I love her, and I will never love anyone as much as I love her. If you give me your blessing, it will make me so happy. I promise that I will spend every penny I have and every ounce of life I live, if that is what it takes to make her the happiest woman in the world. The three of you have become very important to me, and I value your input. To have you each give me your support and blessing on this will make everything complete for both Bella and myself." I look down, waiting for them to say anything.

"Do you have the ring?" Martin asks me. I nod, taking it from my pocket, knowing they would want to see it.

"Bella is going to love this ring – it's very nice, Edward," Grandpa says.

"When are you planning on asking her?" Cole asks, still using the same voice.

"Not for a few more days. I've got it all planned out." The three of them smile at me, and both Martin and Cole nod at Grandpa.

"Edward, we have been waiting for you to ask her to marry you for months now. Cole even had bets that you were going to ask her on New Years in front of everyone after the clock struck twelve."

"Yeah, kid, I lost a cool $500 to Grandpa here on that one. He said it would not happen and took the bet the day before the party. He said he knew it wouldn't happen, because you hadn't asked him for his blessing yet. Smart, knowing all, old man," Cole mumbles out the last part. Martin, Grandpa, and I are all snickering at him.

"The fact that you are sitting here asking for our support and blessing is heartwarming. It shows the respect you have not only for Bella, but for her family as well. Edward, of course you have our blessing," Grandpa says. "I don't think any of us could stop you two from getting married, but you should consider having a long engagement. There are three or four years of college ahead for both of you. I just think you would enjoy marriage more if neither of you are weighed down with college work. Whatever you and Bella choose to do, wait or get married soon, either way we will support you completely and fully." He pats my shoulder as I nod at him. I thank each of them, before heading out to meet up with Rose and Bella.

**28th of May 2011**

It's prom tonight and it's Bella first time attending a formal school dance. She has never gone to any of the school dances, formal or not. She has always hidden in her room before, but I wanted to take her to this one. Prom is a rite of passage, after all.

I'm downstairs; I know Bella is about ready. I got ready in the spare room; I haven't been around her all day. I rented the black Vanquish again. I went out and checked everything in the car. Going back to the house, I stop and knock on the front door. I know it may seem strange, but I wanted to do this the right way. Bella only gets to do this once, and this is our prom. This dance is the big one; according to everyone, it's going to be a night to remember. I stand with Bella's flowers just inside the door, as Grandpa goes to tell her that I'm here. I smile at him for playing along with me. Martin and Cole are here, too, they even play the part of the big worried brothers. I watch as Bella comes into view as she steps down the staircase. I'm not surprised by her beauty – she is the most gorgeous woman I have ever or will ever see. She's wearing my favorite color and she's just exquisite.

I place the wrist corsage on her, and she pins the boutonniere on my tuxedo jacket. We take all of our pictures and say our goodbyes. With her hand around my elbow, I walk her out the door. I hear her gasp when she sees the car, and I open her door for her with a smile on my face. After helping her with her seatbelt, I close the door and make my way round to the other side.

"Remember what we talked about, boy. Don't make me come after you. Then again, I like the chase. Be safe now," Cole yells at me from the porch, with a wink at the end to letting me know he's kidding. I give them all a smile and a wave before jumping in the car and heading to prom.

"Bella, you look absolutely beautiful tonight, breathtaking actually." I take her hand giving it a kiss.

"You look mighty fine, too; no, you look damn hot. I think I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you tonight, the girls are going to lose their shit when they see you." She smiles at me.

"Well, it's a good thing I belong to you then, don't you think?" I ask, as she smiles and nods at me.

We have been here for a little over an hour, when Angela and Ben show up with Alice. I'm surprised that Alice is with them, but does not have a date herself. I walk over to them with Bella.

"Hello, Angela, Alice, you both look really pretty tonight. Ben you are one lucky man to have both of these pretty girls with you this evening," I say shaking his hand in greeting. I give them all a warm smile.

"Thank you, Edward," Angela says to me, as Ben nods.

"Bella, you look good. Edward, I think you better keep a very close eye on her tonight. From the looks of things, the wolves are about to descend," Ben says, chuckling at the end. I, on the other hand, groan which makes Ben and Angela both laugh at me.

Alice has been quiet the whole time we've been talking, so I turn to her. "Alice, you look really beautiful tonight," I say placing my hand on her shoulder. She turns giving me a half smile, before turning her attention to Bella and glaring at her. "Come on, dear brother, come and dance with me," Alice demands as she pulls me toward the dance floor. Bella gives me a nod to say that she's okay.

Alice and I are now on our third dance; Alice is not speaking to me. I have noticed Mike is edging closer to Bella, as the music stops, I move to leave. "Thank you for the dances, Alice, but I need to get back to my Bella now."

Alice huffs and pulls me back to her. "Why do you keep trying to leave me? Isabella's just fine over there with Mike. I don't have anyone here with me. I'm all alone – just stay and dance with me. She's just a girlfriend, I'm your sister."

I look at her in surprise, trying to work out a way to get back to Bella without hurting Alice.

"Yes, Alice, she _is_ my girlfriend, and I love her. I have been with you for twenty minutes now, but she's my date. I need to get back to her – this is her night, too, and she is MY date and MY girlfriend."

Alice crosses her arms, and pouts. "What about me?" She points to herself.

"Alice, you're free to join us, if you want…"

She interrupts me. "No, thank you, not after what she said to me. She has never even said she was sorry!"

I raise my eyebrow at this. "What are you talking about, Alice?" I ask because I still don't have a clue.

"That day in lunch room, when I was talking to you about Rose," Alice spit out Rose's name. "Bella jumped in, it was not her business. She hasn't said she's sorry. You need to tell her to say she's sorry to me. She hurt me with what she said."

I stand there in shock that Alice feels that Bella should say she's sorry, when she was the one that called Bella names. I look right at her and take a deep breath.

"I'm going back to her now, thank you again for the dances." I walk way and she grabs my arm again.

"Are you going to make her say she is sorry? Are you going to make sure she knows she needs to grovel? Are you going to make her realize that she is nothing compared to me—I'm your sister?"

I struggle to keep my temper as I turn back around to Alice. "Really, Alice? Is that right? Now you're suddenly my sister again? That's funny because that's not what you said in November! Are you forgetting that it was YOU, Alice, that owes apologies. Bella does not need to say she _is_ sorry to you; she never did anything to you. It should be you that says you're sorry." Alice's eyes are beginning to tear up, but I keep going. "Not only do you have to say _sorry_ to her, but you need to say it to me as well. Alice, you're eighteen – shit, in a few months you'll be nineteen. You're going to be in college. It's about God damned time you grew up and realized that the world does not revolve around YOU! You brought all of this on yourself; you are nothing more than a spoiled rotten, self-centered brat."

"Just because you love someone does not make them faultless," she cries out.

I let out a sigh, knowing she's not getting what I'm saying. "Good night, Alice." I walk away from her with that.

When I get to Bella, she puts down her drink and moves into my arms. "Do you want to go? I mean, I'm ready whenever you are?" Bella asks, as she motions her head toward the door.

"Yeah, but first I want one last dance with you here at prom." I pull her to the floor just as the first strains of 'Heaven' by Bryan Adams come from the speakers. I pull her close and hold her to me. It's like there is nobody else around us. As the talented voice of Bryan Adams belts out of the speakers, I join in singing into Bella's ear.

_Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years_

_There was only you and me_

_We were young and wild and free_

_Now nothin' can take you away from me_

_We've been down that road before_

_But that's over now_

_You keep me comin' back for more_

_Baby, you're all that I want_

_When you're lyin' here in my arms_

_I'm findin' it hard to believe_

_We're in heaven_

_And love is all that I need_

_And I found it there in your heart_

_It isn't too hard to see_

_We're in heaven_

We dance through the whole song; I sing the entire lyrics to her. When the song ends, I step away enough to pull her hand to my mouth and lay an openmouthed kiss on her wrist. "Now, I'm ready to go, plus, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it, Edward?" She asks.

"You will see, little one, shall we?" I ask motioning to the door. We walk out and get into the car and drive home. "We need to stop off here to get changed. You look extremely beautiful, but for this surprise, you are going to need the clothes I set out for you on our bed. Go, my love, and get changed, and I'll meet you back here in a few minutes." I kiss her, and send her off to our room with a confused look on her face. I head to the spare room to get changed myself.

After we are both ready, I take her by her hand to my bike. I give Bella her helmet, and put on mine. She holds onto me as we take off. I love having Bella on my bike, I love feeling her behind me, with her arms around me and her thighs hugging my backside. I pull up and help Bella off my bike. After we are off, I push my bike further into the forest and place it behind some trees.

"Are we going to the meadow?" Bella asks in a confused voice.

I chuckle. "Wait and see, patience is a virtue, my love." I kiss her, and switch on the torch. Taking her hand, we start walking.

"Edward, it's so dark, I won't be able to see anything," she says quietly as she clings to me.

I stop and hug to me with one arm. "Baby, it's all okay, just trust me, please?" She bites her lip and nods. "Baby, please don't bite that lip, that's my job," I growl out. I give her a kiss biting her lip before starting to walk again.

We are about ten minutes out when I text Martin letting him know. Just before we get there, I stop her. "You know the drill, time to put the blindfold on." I smirk as she rolls her eyes, but still turns so that I can put it on her. I hold her close, as we walk into the meadow. I turn off the torch placing it on the ground, I smile when I get to see the full effect. I planned this with the help of Martin and Cole. I had them set it up for me, while I was at prom with Bella. There's a tent set up. There's a small fire burning. There are solar-powered lights all around the ground. They are not bright, but are casting off a wonderful romantic glow on the area. I look up at the sky, and thank the lord that it's a clear night. I'm in awe of the twinkling stars; they help set the mood. I smile when I realize that Cole added his own touch to the decorating. The solar lights around the meadow are in the shape of a large heart. The tent is in the center of the heart.

I breathe out as I remove the blindfold from Bella's eyes. Bella blinks a few times before gasping. "Oh my God, it's… oh my God." She stops and turns to me and leaps into my arms. I pull her toward me, and her legs wrap around my waist. I carry her to the middle and sit us down next to the tent. Bella shifts around so she's sitting between my legs. "This is so beautiful. I can't believe you did this for me." She's still looking around our meadow.

"I love you, and I wanted to give you a night to remember, before we have to leave here. I know that over the last few years there haven't been many happy ones, and I wanted to give you one to always remember. Besides, you survived your first high school dance tonight. Cole and Martin put all the stuff out for me, so I can't take all the credit for this." I smile and kiss her on her temple.

We are lying on the blanket and air cushions they set out for us. The fire is small, but is giving off enough heat to make the tent warm. Bella gasps, and points to the sky. "Did you see that?" She asks, as she sits up a bit. She has an amazingly wonderful smile on her face. "Oh my God, there's another one." Bella and I are quiet as we watch the shooting stars flying across the sky. There must have been about ten of them before they stop. "So, how did you get the big guy to do that for you?" Bella asks as she hugs into me.

"Well, I've been a good boy, and now I owe him one," I reply smiling at her.

"Well, I would hate to be in your shoes when he comes a-calling for payback then." I laugh as I pull her closer to me. I kiss the side of her face. When I get to her mouth, the kiss is now more like a frenzied hunger. What started out as a soft kiss turns into a full blown, heated kiss. I thread my fingers into her hair and keep her mouth where I want it as I continue to kiss, suck, lick, and nip at her lips. She moans into my mouth, and crawls into my lap. Straddling my torso, she is pulling my hair and grinding herself against me.

"Are we all alone?" Bella asks against my neck as she bites and licks her way across my heated flesh.

"Yes, the guys are gone. It's just us out here," I pant out.

"Good," Bella says in more of a growl than a word. I feel her fingers claw at the back of my shirt, and I know that she wants my shirt off. We have taken things pretty far, but we have never gone all the way. I help her remove my shirt and her nails drag across my skin on my back.

"Baby, we need to slow down. You're pushing pretty hard and fast, I need to be able to maintain my control," I whisper.

Bella moves her hands back into my hair and pulls it and makes me look at her. I can see the desire boiling in her eyes. "We are all alone, we are in our spot. There is no better or more perfect time. I want you, Edward. I need you to make love to me. I'm already yours; now make me yours in every way."

"Baby, you are mine, I love you," I tell her as I flip us over and lie on top of her. "I love you, baby," I whisper.

"I love you, Edward, forever."

**29th of May 2011**

Bella and I have been awake for almost an hour, we just finished breakfast and we are tidying up. We made a new engraving on the tree with the date from yesterday. Martin left a picture that he laminated, so we could pin it to the tree, too.

"Edward, how are we going to get all off this stuff home? I mean, I don't mind carrying some of this, but I don't think I can carry all of it?" Bella asks in a rush, as she looks over all of our things.

"Bella, you won't be carrying any of it." I pick up the backpack with the tent, sleeping bags and deflated air cushions in them. I put the hiking size backpack on my back. All that is still on the ground is the bag with our clothes, and the bag of solar light poles. I double check that the fire is out and no garbage is left in our meadow. I pick up the large bag of lights, and the small bag of our other stuff, before taking Bella's hand. "Let's go," I say with a smirk, at her confused face.

"Edward, how are you going to carry all of that, plus drive the bike? You're going to be sore by the time we get to our bike," Bella says. She tries to grab the smaller bag, but I pull it away from her.

"Trust me, Bella, there's no way in God's name you are carrying any of this." I use my Dom voice to put an end to her trying to help with the bags.

"Fine, but you can't use that voice for the rest of the day." Bella tries to put on a strong front. I place both bags on the ground and cup her face.

Still using the same voice, and tone, I say, "Bella, both you and I know that you like this voice, and sometimes you like doing things to make me use it on you." I place a soft kiss on her neck and throat.

"Shit, shit, shit," she says, her eyes still resting on my face. "Fine, you win," Bella whispers out. Then grabbing my face and pulling my lips to hers she's kissing me hard, and passionately. Once the kiss is ended, I place a light kiss on her forehead.

"Let's go," I say, picking up the bags again.

Bella and I talk off and on as we walk, as we get to where I parked my bike, Bella stops. "Oh, Edward your bike gone," she says as she looks around for it. "We are going to have to call Liam," she says stopping and looks at me. "Why are you not freaking out that your bike is gone?" I'm unable to stop myself from laughing out loud.

As she glares at me, I hold my empty hand up. "Bella, Martin or Cole took my bike home with them last night. I knew I would have all this to bring home with me today. I took the bike to get us closer to the meadow last night, because it was dark. I asked Martin to come here in my car and drive my bike home, so I parked the bike here, texted him that we were out of sight and sound of the bike, and he came and switched vehicles with me." I smile at her, and finally I can see her relax.

"You could have told me that… shit."

I walk up giving her another kiss, after we both chuckled. "Let's go home, baby girl." She nods and holds my hand the rest of the way.

**11th of June 2011**

It's graduation today, and I'm still unsure about what I am going to say. I think that I'm just going to wing it.

As you may have guessed the DNA came back; the baby, Junior, is in fact Mike's. He refused to have any part in the life of the baby, and gave up his rights before baby Junior was a week old. Jessica was heartbroken for her son, but knows it's best to not have her son poisoned by the influence of Mike anyway. So far she's doing well with being a mother. After much thought, Jessica named her son Benjamin. Bella calls him Benji. I asked her why and she said that all kids needed a nickname. The little tyke is a cutie, despite who his biological father is. Jessica is doing well with motherhood, but of course, is finding the lack of sleep hard.

Before I know it, Bella and I are dressed and have our gowns on. I'm sitting next to Alice, and Bella is sitting beside the other S's. Alice is not happy with me over prom, but that's tough. After Bella and I left, Ben told her that he felt that I was right to say what I did, and how she misjudged Bella. Alice decided that it was good idea to accuse Ben of sleeping with Bella, since he was protecting her now, too, which made Angela mad at her. The two have been fighting since prom; they still don't speak. Alice refuses to see that she was and still is wrong.

I'm called up to the podium to make my speech. "Good afternoon ladies, gentlemen, teachers, and fellow students. I have been racking my brain about what to say to you today. Wondering what perfect message I could give before we leave here to head off to college, work, traveling, or wherever the next step you take may lead you. Well, to be honest, in search for the perfect message, I came up with nothing. To be completely truthful, I didn't want to do this at all. Me, being up here, giving this commencement speech is all because of a coin toss, which I lost." I think back to Bella flipping the coin 'Heads I win, tails you lose' my mind says them over, and over again. Either way, I would lose! Oh that sneaky little minx, she tricked me and I never caught it. I stop talking and give her a clear look, to tell her that I just figured it all out. It dawns on her face that I figured it out, and I watch her slide down in her chair. She's trying hard not to laugh. Oh… little one, payback is a bitch, but those thoughts melt away when she mouths the words 'I love you' to me. Just like that I'm calm, and start to talk again.

"Moving on from the coin flip, I think I will share with you all the things I know are true. I have learned so much in these last few months. Life is hard, it doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, if you're working, or stay at home. It doesn't even matter if you are away on vacation, life will always have its ups and downs. Life doesn't schedule appointments for anything; it just throws them at you. You can either catch the things thrown at you, and work your way through them or you can sit back and be hit with thing after thing. The strong survive, and being true to yourself and treating other people as you would want them to treat you is the best thing to do. Life isn't easy and tomorrow it could throw anything at you. Sometimes, it is like everything is against you. Reminds me of the shirt I saw at the mall the other day, it said, 'today isn't your day, and tomorrow isn't looking good either.' With this in mind I tried to find a way to help. Find a way that I could say something to you, that you could use a week from now, a month or even a year, but there's a good chance that you walk out that door today and forget every word that I have said. I put together this book that you will find below your chair. It's a survival guide to college—it contains important information every young adult should have. The best places to party, how to keep macaroni and cheese exciting, and bar tricks that can get you free drinks. There are also a lot of valuable tips in this guide that will help you. Information about not so well known scholarships, busing and transportation information, easy recipes, general first aid information, and, of course, plenty of room to add your own notes. I talked with many people, from college kids to young adults who are working one or two jobs to survive. All of the information and advice gathered came from these people." I stop for a minute as I see everyone picking up the books from under their chairs. I smile at Bella, who again tells me she loves me; I tell her I love her, too, and carry on. "The survival guide also has helpful phone numbers inside. There's a lot of helpful information on things that you can get, places that give you discounts, if you're a student. Group names and contact information for places that will help you, if you're attacked, or if something bad happens. There's a chapter on how the previous year's college freshmen did, and what they would have done differently if they knew then what they know now. This is the only help I could think of to give you. I hope you read it and find the guide useful. I wish everyone here good luck in whatever path you choose." I leave the stage and see Bella standing on her chair clapping. 'Still going to get you back, little girl,' I say to myself as I look at her and smile.

We are called up one at a time, and after everything is completed, Bella and I head back to Grandpa, Martin, and Cole. We know that Bella's father's family will meet us for dinner. "I'm so going to pay you back for that. I can't believe you tricked me," I whisper in her ear as we walk around the other families.

"I can't believe that you fell for it. I could see the light go on above your head, when you finally figured it out up there," Bella laughs.

"Oh, you laugh now, little girl, but I will be paying you back." I slap her ass, as we get to Grandpa and the others.

"I'm so proud of you – both of you. Great speech, Edward," Grandpa says as he hugs Bella and then me. Martin and Cole also give us both a hug.

"Okay — so, we ready to go? We have to meet Lilly and Phil and everyone at the Lodge. Cole is driving us this time," Martin says. We all nod and head for the door.

"Edward, can I have a quick word with you, please." I turn to see Carlisle standing there, he looks different.

"Yes," I say as Bella and the others move away from us, but still stay nearby.

"I was wondering if I can come and talk to you, with Peter, if you're still up for it. I was thinking maybe on Monday, you know, before you leave for Seattle?"

I look at him puzzled, even his voice is different. "Yeah, that's fine. I will see you then," I whisper out while looking down.

Carlisle places a hand on my shoulder. "You did well today, Edward." At that he walks away and I head over to Bella. She immediately wraps me in one of her hugs. After we break apart, we all head out to meet Bella's father's family for dinner.

**13 June 2011**

I'm really nervous about what Carlisle wants to talk to me about. Bella has offered to come in with me, but after talking it out with Peter and her we decided I would be alone. She's with me, but is waiting in the café for me. That way she's close by, but still gives me a chance to get all of this out. Peter calls me in; he wanted to talk to Carlisle first. I have already gone through everything I want to ask, and tell Carlisle with Peter, so we are on the same page.

"Edward, you can come in now." I look up and see Peter standing by the door of the waiting room. He gives me a reassuring smile, and I walk over to him. "Remember, at any time we can end this, just give me the word." I nod and we walk into the room together.

"If it's okay with you, Edward, your Uncle Carlisle would like to tell you some stuff first?" I nod, and sit across from Carlisle.

He opens his mouth and closes it; he does this several times, before he begins to speak. "I don't know where to star…ah, okay. As you know, I met your father when I started college. He was enigmatic, always the mysterious, quiet guy. He was so smart, and never missed anything. He was always surrounded by girls, and he always took a different one home when he was out. I was a loner. I was really geeky and found it hard to make friends. My parents, your Grandpa and Grandma – you know what they're like?" he asks. I smile and nod, even now, in their old age they still have the need to protect everyone. "Well, your father just started to talk to me one night, and the next thing I knew I had a best friend. On the inside, he was every bit the geek that I was. The only difference was, he could make friends, and the women fell for him like that." Carlisle snaps his fingers. "We became better friends and he tried to show me what life was like outside of work. He tried hard to teach me that there's more to life than working hard. It was a few years later that Elizabeth came to the same college as me. At first, I tried to keep her way from him, I knew that she would like him and didn't want her to get hurt. She never had a boyfriend before, and I didn't want her have a crush on my best friend. She was always talking about Esme, always asking me to meet her. I always brushed her off you know, then came the night Edward got the phone call from Esme. We were at his place watching a game and he had some beer. I was just about to start my first, so I said I would drive him. The minute I saw her, my whole world fell into place. I didn't have much experience with women before this, and only had two past sexual partners. I told Edward how I felt about Esme, and he told me to go for it. I fell hard. The more I fell in love with her, the more I got upset about her and Edward. They had a special bond. I didn't know what happened to make them so close. I only knew he had known her most of her life, but I was still jealous that she told him things that she didn't tell me. I hated that he knew her better than I did. The night that I saw them together, I swear that I did not see any marks on her. I only saw them curled together on the bed, and her, wearing his shirt." I hold my hand up, but he stops me. "Yes, I know now that it was Elizabeth's, but at that time, I thought it was his – he had the same one. I have had some hypnotism done here lately and I can clearly see now the marks on her face, which I missed that night. I can also see that shirt was not signed, Edward's was signed. I don't know why I didn't see it all in the beginning. My therapist thinks that my inner mind saw it, but pushed it to the back of my mind because I was so jealous. I had to go away to do some work, and I was worried that they would get together when I was away. It ate me up inside. I wanted to confront them, but was scared that she would choose him over me. When I came back, I said nothing, and found out that he was dating my little sister. I was pissed; he never even asked me if I minded. He was eleven years older than her, but one look at my sister and I could tell that she was head-over-heels. I decided that I would split them up, my way of doing that was to go through Mom and Dad. That backfired on me, because they loved him; hell, I think they loved him more than they loved me. After that he beat me in everything. He asked Elizabeth to marry him, before I asked Esme. They got married first. I thought I had him beat when Esme fell pregnant with Emmett, but she was only three months when Elizabeth said that she was pregnant, too. It just felt like he took everything away from me. My parents gushed at how hard working he was, how smart and this and that. His business really took off, and he paid off my parents' house; that was my job. I should have been able to do that for them, not have my best friend, turned rival in my mind, do it. Esme was pregnant again, this time with Alice; as soon as we were ready to announce it, of course, Elizabeth told us all that she was pregnant." I look up at him confused, because I did not know this. "It was an ectopic pregnancy, Edward. Your dad was working late; he came home and found her on the bathroom floor. Her fallopian tube had burst; she had to have a partial hysterectomy. She almost died, and she was so sad at the loss of the baby. I blamed him for not being there for her, I know now it was stupid. After that, little things happened, here and there, more of my mind set in its competing mindset. Then came the year that they were murdered, and I was so angry. I thought that it was because of him, that my sister was now dead. I thought he was doing something wrong, got to know the wrong people. I blamed him for everything. I never knew that he was trying to protect his family. I just didn't know, and never gave him the chance to tell me. Every time I looked at you, as you got older, I saw him. I tried to take you away from him, make you be like me, I tried to change you. Then Aro started whispering in my ear, about how bad you were, how you were nothing more than trouble. I began to only see my hate for your father. I wanted to hurt him so much for taking Esme away, for taking Elizabeth away, my parents, my pride, everything and everyone. I don't really know what to say about how I behaved over the last few months, or years. All I could hear in my mind is he's just like his father, he is going to destroy your family like Edward did." Carlisle stops and he looks as if he's at his breaking point. "Even now, I still see it. I still feel angry toward you. I don't know if I will ever not feel like this, but I wanted to say I'm proud of you." Carlisle gets up and walks out.

I jump up to go after him, but Peter stops me. "Edward, you need to let him be for now. He has twenty years of anger and misguided information to work through. He needs space to do this; he knows that you will be there when he does." I nod, and thank him even though I didn't get to ask him anything. He told me enough that I can understand a little of where he was coming from.

**22nd of June 2011**

Bella and I moved to Seattle early this week. It took me thirty minutes to get her into the car with the last of our stuff. I also had to remind her four times, that we would see Grandpa every weekend. He decided that he would come to Seattle on Fridays stay till Monday, at least every other week, and we would go to Forks on the opposite weeks. Bella cried most of the way to Seattle. I knew she would find this hard; Grandpa has been the most constant thing in her life. This was one of the reasons we were moving here well before college started. Bella knew she needed time to adjust to living with just me. We talked it through with Peter. Bella wanted me to make clear guidelines for her; I was bothered by that. I'm her boyfriend not her dad, but after talking it through, I understood it a bit more. So we talked to Peter and he helped us to separate the feelings, and we sat down and together came up with a plan. She has complete control over the kitchen. We had to let each other know where we would be at, and always inform each other beforehand if plans change. Surprises were okay, but she still didn't want me surprising her a lot. She had to always have the door locked, if I was not home with her. It was mainly things like that, which she wanted from me. Grandpa said when he comes over to visit for the first month or so, he would stay at Martin's. He thinks it's best for us to get used to our place together, without having someone staying there every other weekend. Peter agreed with Grandpa, saying he was a very smart man.

Another reason for us coming early was that I wanted to work in the office a bit more before college. Bella starts her new job in the library in July anyway.

I told Emmett and Esme what I was doing. They are both happy for me, and we are getting along much better now. Emmett has let go of some of the stuff that happened, but finds that some stuff is just too hard. He is still going to his meetings, and hasn't touched a drop of alcohol. As for Carlisle, I haven't seen him again, but he did text me to wish us luck. Alice is still not really speaking with any of the family; she's too busy wallowing in self-pity.

Today is a special day for me. It's one year ago today that I got to camp and found out Bella was my new roommate for ten weeks. I look back at what the last year has thrown at us. I can't believe it all, even though I lived it. We have gone through in a year, more than most people go through their entire lives. We really have had a year of hell. But, I would gladly do to it all again for Bella.

I smile as I put the last touch of my plan in place. I asked Rose to help dress Bella and get her here at the right time. Glancing at my watch, I hear my phone. I receive a text from Rose, letting me know that Bella is on her way up. Okay, I can do this! I tell myself. I take some deep breaths as I watch the door open, and Bella walks in. I smile at the extra touches Rose did, to enhance Bella's natural beauty. Bella is wearing an ivy-colored dress and matching heels. The skirt of the dress rests just above her knee. Her hair is down, long and has what looks like thousands of corkscrew curls cascading down her back. The natural blush of her cheeks and the light gloss on her lips finish her look. She smiles seductively as she slowly turns so I can see the entire ensemble.

I watch her expression as she walks into the room. "Wow, this looks really beautiful. You've done an amazing job in here. I can't believe you did this," she says with a smile. I smile back at her, and kiss her hand. I have arranged candles all around the room. I moved the living room furniture to the spare room for the night. The only things in the room are a table and chairs, the stereo system and electronics, and my mom's piano. Carlisle had it shipped to me last week. I pull Bella close and kiss her, before walking her over to her chair. "You look really beautiful tonight," I whisper in her ear as I show her to her seat.

I walk over and press play on the CD player. I made this CD especially for tonight. I watch Bella's face as the first song comes on. She looks at me and smiles. "Is that your music? It's you, isn't it? You composed this music?"

I nod at her. "Yeah, I wanted this to be perfect and I knew you would like this. You're always asking me to put my music on a CD for you, so…" I trail off.

"So, I get to keep the CD, it's mine?" I nod and watch her as she claps her hands and bounces in her seat.

"Are you ready for the first course?" She nods and I go to collect it from the kitchen. I arranged with one of the restaurants to have their chef make the three-course meal for us. It was delivered and set up for me, being kept warm in the warming drawers I had in my kitchen. Who knew.

As we enjoy the meal, we talk about all kinds of things. Bella stops talking now and then when one of her favorite songs comes on. Most are just the music, but there is one or two that I recorded, that had me singing in them. The one that I played for her when she was in hospital 'Amazed,' is about to start. "Bella, may I have this dance please?" I ask, extending my hand to help her from her chair. She nods and I take her in my arms, and we dance around the room.

As the song comes to an end, I start to get more nervous. I know now is the moment that this whole night is about. I walk her back to her seat, and kneel on the floor beside her. "I am going to play the next song, it's called 'Bella's Lullaby,' it's everything that I feel, and have felt since the first day of camp one year ago today." She smiles at me and grabs my face and kisses me. I stand back up, still kissing her, and lift her into my arms. I carry her over to the piano, and I place her on the bench and sit beside her. I begin to play the song I wrote just for her.

By time the song ends, Bella has tears in her eyes. "That was really beautiful," she says. I turn and smile at her knowing that it's time.

I push the bench back a bit and kneel down in front of her, resting on just one knee. "The last year, has…well, it has been a year of hell. With everything that has happened to you, to me, to us...but, I would do it all again, because it brought me you. I'm so in love with you. Each and every day, I fall more and more in love with you. The way that you look at me, touch me, it confirms for me what I already know. I know that I would never find anyone that loves me the way that you do. I know I will never feel alone anymore, even when we're apart because you are always here." I place her hand over my heart. "I know that you keep me here, too." I place my hand over her heart. "I know I'm already committed to you every way possible. I know that I will be committed to you forever. I know that we are soul mates, and I know that without you in my life, it has no meaning. I also know that we will stick together through everything, until the end of time. Not even death can keep us apart. So, I am here asking you to be mine forever, and with me show our family, friends, and the entire world that you are mine. I am here asking you, Isabella Marie Swan, to marry me, to be my wife. Will you do me the extraordinary honor?" I ask, looking in her eyes, both of us teary. She nods before leaping into my arms, kissing me.

She stops her assault on my mouth and pulls back enough to look at me. "Yes, Edward, of course. The answer is _yes_. I don't have a big speech or anything, but yes, I will marry you."

I reach into my pocket taking out the ring and showing it to her. "This is the Masen family ring; now keep in mind that agreeing to wear this is a serious thing. Once you wear this, you are a Masen woman, and that you will stay forevermore. No Masen woman wearing this ring has ever gotten a divorce, so this is forever."

"I wouldn't want it any other way; I am yours forever, with or without the ring, Edward."

I take it from the box. "It's sort of a puzzling ring. It's one ring, but is broken down into three pieces that fit together. The heart-shaped diamond is of course, the engagement ring, which you will wear now." I place the heart-shaped diamond on her finger. I love that it's a perfect fit. "See, my love, it was meant for you." She gives me a confused look. "This ring has never been altered; it has always fit the woman that it belongs to." She smiles, and gives me another kiss. "The hands are the wedding band, and the crown is the eternity ring. Once you have all three they make up the one Claddagh ring." I place the other two pieces of the ring back in the box placing it in my pocket.

"It's really beautiful; your family has great taste."

Smiling at her, I stand and pull her to me. "Come to bed with me?" I whisper in her ear as she kisses my neck. I feel her nod her head against me, so I pick her up and carry her to our room. Once in our room, I place her back down, letting her see the room. Again, there are a lot of candles, and some petals spread all over the floor and bed from roses, daisies, and tulips, some of Bella's favorite flowers. She smiles at me and goes back to kissing me taking off my jacket.

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**A/N: So a lot of things happened in this chapter. What do you think of everything as a whole, so far? Remember the next chapter that will post later this evening is the last regular chapter of the story. The epilogue will post tomorrow and our new story Family Business will start posting on the 20th. Thanks for reading, please let us know what you think.  
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	30. Chapter 30

**So this is the last regular chapter before the epilogue. We will post that tomorrow. As always any songs used, belong to the people who wrote them and or performed them. All things Twilight belong to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement intended in our use of any of the previously mentioned copyrighted things.**

**Special thanks to the girls who help keep us readable. Thanks to Jess2002 who has been there forever and day. Thanks to AWayWithWords, who teaches us new stuff all the time. Thanks to Savannavansmutsmut, who is seriously one of the fastest people at returning a chapter to someone, and super talented in her own right. HUGE thanks to the newest member, SarcasticBimbo, who is really awesome. Any and all mistakes belong to us, Nikky and Kasi.**

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**Chapter 30: A Wedding, Two Funerals, and Three Babies**

**ONE YEAR AND A FEW MONTHS LATER - AND A BiT OF THE FUTURE  
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**8****th**** of September, 2012**

Today I'm marrying the woman of my dreams. I'm staying calm, and keeping it together. I don't have any worries about getting married, whatsoever. This may sound cheesy, but I was born ready to marry Bella.

The last year has passed really quickly. We had gathered Bella's whole family together to tell them of our engagement. Both Bella and I were surprised when Bella's Grandma Lilly jumped up a down with enthusiasm. We were, however, shocked when she ordered them all to break out their wallets and pay up. It turns out that Grandma Lilly had bet her husband, her daughter, and her daughter's husband that Bella and I would be engaged before we went to college. Bella just shook her head at them, but we both found humor in their antics. We told them that the wedding was planned for July 4, 2015. By then both Bella and I will be finished with college. We both planned out our college courses and intend to finish a six-year degree in three years. It meant a lot of work for the both of us, but we are both used to it. We knew that we could do it.

It was a few days later when I told Esme, Emmett, and Alice. Emmett got up and congratulated both Bella and me. Esme was worried that we were rushing things, but relaxed once she was told the date for our wedding. Alice didn't speak; she just got up and walked out.

The time went quickly by and we moved and got settled into our new place. We had lots of things to celebrate at our new home, in our new life together. Bella's eighteenth birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine's Day, and Easter all came and went. My twenty-first birthday was scary, especially because Bella was still eighteen. She would soon be nineteen, but I was no longer a teenager, and no longer in that rut between being a teen and of legal age. We ended up having a really great day, Bella is always good at making sure things were perfect.

Emmett became a regular visitor at our apartment. He had started back at college and would come over to get help with his homework. He found some of the work hard, but I managed to simplify it for him. The hands-on stuff he is great at, it's the intense reading and studying that throws him off a little. Life was good; Rose is still one of our closest friends and comes over often. Rose and Emmett can be in the same room as each other now, and most of the time the four of us hang out together.

Rose and Emmett were both working on becoming better friends to each other. Bella and I know that they want to be together, but they are doing things right, rebuilding from the ground up.

It was three months ago that things started going south for us. Grandpa had a bad cough, and Bella was getting worried about it. She decided that she'd take the day off from classes, and arranged for notes so she could go with him to the doctor. I still remember that day very well. I was at the office doing some work, when Bella called.

She was crying on the phone and I couldn't make out what she was saying. I knew I needed to get to her right away. I arrived at the hospital along with Martin and Cole. We were told that Bella was in Carlisle's office, and we made our way there. We found Bella crying and Carlisle comforting her. It turned out that Grandpa had appendicitis, and it burst. He was rushed into surgery. I sighed telling her that he should be okay. With the technology of today, they would pull him through.

Bella interrupted me by shaking her head. Then she told us all that during the surgery they found other problems. Grandpa had stage three lung cancer. It was also spreading to his other organs, and he was given six months. I don't think any of us spoke after being told that.

When Grandpa came out of the hospital, he moved in with Bella and me. Bella insisted and left him no choice; she wanted him with us while he was still around. Since we were close to Martin and it was where Grandpa would rather be, he agreed. It was strange; you would never know that he was ill, he doesn't look like it and he doesn't act like it. It was easy to pretend that it wasn't just two months ago he sat us down telling us that he had arranged everything for when he dies.

He made Bella promise not to mope about after his death, because he had seventy great years on this earth. He was happy and at peace. Most of his years were filled with love and happiness. He said he was lucky he got to see not only his children grown, but his granddaughter as well. He told us how proud he was of us, to overcome such hardships and stay together. He said he will die happy knowing that Bella has so much happiness in her life.

It was such an emotional night, there were a lot of tears shed, but it was nice to know that Grandpa was so peaceful despite the thought of his death looming over him.

That night, in bed, I started forming the plan in my head. I knew Bella was awake beside me, I can read her even with her back to my chest. I know that Bella wanted Grandpa to be at our wedding, and to give her away. I know we have talked a little here and there about what we would most like to do. There has never been a doubt that Grandpa would be the man who would offer the hand of Bella to me at the altar.

I sat up and turned on the light. Bella looked at me like I was silly. I remember the smile on her face though, when I started to explain. I tell her that I want to move the wedding date closer, like really closer. I wanted Grandpa there; I want him to walk Bella down the aisle. I asked her what she thought of marrying me much sooner than we had planned. Her response was immediate and in the form of jumping into my arms and kissing me fiercely.

We called Martin and told him everything we planned the next morning. With everyone except Grandpa, who was in the dark on the idea, on board we planned out the wedding. Martin and Cole are with Grandpa now. Grandpa knows he's attending a wedding. Martin gave him a nice suit to wear, and they left. Grandpa just doesn't know yet that it's Bella's wedding, and that he is playing a very important part in it.

"Hello Grandpa, I would like to ask you how you would feel about walking Bella down the aisle today. We would appreciate it, because only you can give her away to marry me. So can you do that?" I ask, as Grandpa comes into the room I'm in at the church.

Looking at my clothes he goes a little white, but quickly regains his color and smiles at me. "Yeah, I can do that." He comes over and hugs me, patting me on the back. When he lets go of me, he nods and smiles again. I can see the tears in his eyes, this day means as much to him as it does to both Bella and me. "So, is one of you yahoos going to take me to my Bella? I have to see her," Grandpa says, and I watch as Cole and Martin take him to Bella.

I take my place up front at the altar. Cole and Martin come up and stand beside me. "She looks really beautiful. Grandpa got a bit teary again, after the shock wore off from seeing her in her Grandma's wedding dress. I think he will be all right," Cole sniffs out. I pat his shoulder, and Martin turns his head trying not to laugh. Cole may be one tough character, but he has an emotional heart.

"Okay, we best get down there and meet the girls, come on you two," Martin says. I watch as Martin motions for Emmett to join him, as he pulls Cole down the aisle.

"Eh, Edward! It's okay to go with them right? He's all right in the head, right? I mean that Cole guy hasn't got like split personality disorder, does he?"

I chuckle and turn to Emmett. "Nope, he's fine. It's just Cole being Cole; you'll get used to him. Now get down there so we can get this show on the road."

"Are you sure, because I asked him earlier if he was in his right mind, and he told me he couldn't be in his right mind, because he wasn't left handed."

Emmett looks so confused and worried for Cole, I can't help but laugh. "Emmett, he was being funny. He was saying that only true left handers are in their right mind, it was a joke. Really, he is fine; he just gets a little emotional at weddings." Emmett nods, still looking confused and walks down to meet the others.

Bella has two bridesmaids, and her maid of honor. Rose is her maid of honor. Then she chose Leah and Bree, as her bridesmaids. I couldn't choose between Martin and Cole as a best man, so I have best men. I ended up with three of them to be exact. We used a _fair_ coin toss to pick placement of who would stand right beside me, Martin or Cole. Cole won the coin toss, and both Martin and he were honored to stand beside me. So Cole is technically the best man, and Martin and Emmett are my groomsmen. Having these three guys means so much to not only me, but to Bella as well.

Bella decided that even though Rose and Cole _should_ sign as our witnesses, that she wanted Martin and Cole to sign. Rose understood, and was happy to bow out of that maid-of- honor duty.

As the music starts, I'm standing here beside the pastor, waiting.

First I see Emmett escorting Leah. Leah picked out a dress that was calf-length, and her petite slim body, beside Emmett's bulkiness makes them an attractive pair walking down the aisle. Then there's Martin, who is escorting Bree down the aisle. Bella helped Bree pick out her dress, and they went with the shorter knee-length, so it would be easier for her to walk in it. Bree's health issues have been causing problems with her balance lately. Next is Cole, with Rose on his arm. Rose is wearing a very dramatic, long, flowing gown. Walking beside Cole, they look like they belong on a runway. Everyone that has walked down the aisle so far has huge smiles on their faces, and I'm so glad they are here to share this day. As they all take their places, I let out a breath, moving over, so I can get a good view of my girl.

As the music changes, and the volume increases I watch the door. As I see her come into view; my heart thumps harder in my chest. My mouth goes dry and I am absolutely speechless. Thank God I have time to get it together, before I'm expected to say anything. I can't remove my eyes from her. She is so beautiful…even that does not fully describe her. There are no words that can encompass the beauty that she is, as she walks toward me.

She's in a white dress made of pure silk that fits her perfectly. The top is slightly off the shoulder, and there is ruching that crisscrosses to her waist. The waist is belted in the front and there's a beaded design on the belt. The bodice of the dress is fitted close to her body until it reaches her hips, where it flares out. It was her grandma's wedding dress, and she had it altered to fit her. I can't see it yet, but I know from the talk that the back of the gown is sheer lace with many tiny buttons down the center. The veil is long and flowing, and must be pinned to the back of her head, because it is not on top of her head.

Her long, beautiful hair is up from her shoulders, but there are strands of curls hanging loosely down on both sides of her face. The sleeves of her dress are long and appear to be made of lace as well. As I scan her from her feet and back up, I stop when our eyes meet. I can feel her eyes drawing me to her, and I feel Cole take a hold of my arm. I don't know how he knew that I was about to run to her, but he keeps a hold of me until she's in front of me.

Bella turns and hugs Grandpa and he kisses her forehead as he returns her hug. Turning to me, he pulls me into a hug of my own. As he places Bella's hand in mine, he clears his throat. "I knew from the first moment I saw you with Bella, that you were her forever. I ask only that you love her and honor her; the two of you together make each other whole. Love each other, cherish each other, and always be there for each other. Take good care of her, son, I trust in you to always love and protect her."

"Always, and forever," I say to him and Bella both.

With Bella's hand in mine, I smile at her and she smiles back. "I love you," Bella says as she strokes the back of my hand with her thumb.

"I fu…I love you, too," I say. I kiss the top of her head as she chuckles at my almost slip-up in church, as we turn to the Pastor.

"Well, that's the reason we're all here, why don't we make a start, shall we?" Pastor Stevens asks looking at us; I wave my hand at him to begin.

"I, Edward Anthony Masen, take you, Isabella Marie Swan, to be my wife."

"I, Isabella Marie Swan, take you, Edward Anthony Masen, to be my husband."

As we recite our vows to each other, it was so easy to forget that anyone but us is here. My Aunt Esme and Uncle Carlisle never legally changed my name, so it was easy for me to get married in my given last name. I spoke to both of them explaining how I felt. I wanted to go back to my birth name after college, but with our marriage Bella would be using Masen right away. I would use it as well, and there were only a few places where I would still be known as Cullen for a short time.

The rest of the night flew by very fast. Grandpa was shocked by how fast we pulled this all off without his knowledge. He may have been unprepared, but he still managed to give one of the best toasts. He thanked Bella and me, for doing this today. He assured us just how much it meant to him to be able to walk Bella down the aisle. He toasted our love, and said that true undying love is hard to come by, and he's so happy that both Bella and I have that in each other. It was a lovely toast from a wonderful man, I'm so glad he was here.

As the music died down, and the guests said their goodbyes, I took Bella to the hotel room I booked for the night. Since Grandpa is so ill, we both wanted to stay close by for him.

As we unpacked the bags we found some things that neither of us had packed. There was a set of handcuffs, which Bella insisted that I must have packed, along with some chocolate flavored body paint, a blindfold, several lengths of silk, and other fun erotic stuff. I may have not packed the stuff, but after first making sweet love to my wife, we did make use of all of it.

**6****th**** of October, 2012**

The week after our wedding came and went. Bella had changed her college work, so that she was able to do the majority of her courses online. She wanted to spend as much time with Grandpa as she could.

Two days ago Grandpa went into a coma. The doctor came to see him this morning; we were all here saying our goodbyes. Bella is on my lap hugging me like I'm her lifeline. I know that, in a way, I am right now.

I think back over the last two weeks when he would call us all into his room. He reminded us of everything he had already taken care of. He told us not to worry and to know that he is at peace.

He gave us rules to follow, like, we were not supposed to call it a funeral or a wake, it was to be a celebration of his seventy long, loving years on this earth. He said he enjoyed most every year of his time here, and wanted us all to remember the good parts and good times we had together.

He insisted that none of us wear black, and instead of mourning his passing we should celebrate his life and the great memories we had together. He then passed out things that he wanted each person to have. He gave Bella some jewelry that belonged to him, as well as several pieces that had belonged to Mary, Bella's grandma. Martin got his watch and wedding ring set, Cole got his collection of cufflinks. Grandpa even set aside something for Renee. I was surprised when he handed me an envelope and box. He left me his beloved gun 'Bet'; he also paid for shooting lessons for me.

As we look around the room, it's full of laughter and talking about old times. Bella leaps off my knee and goes over to Grandpa. "Grandpa, hey… He said something," she looks around the room. We all fall quiet as Martin checks him over.

"Do know what he said?" Martin asks.

Bella looks at Grandpa placing her hand on his head. "It sounded like he said Mary." As we look around the room Bella begins to weep.

I go to her just as I pull her to me, everyone in the room hears the same thing, his faint soft voice say, "it's been too long Mary." We all look at Grandpa, who has the biggest smile I have ever seen on his face. We watch as he takes one last breath and passes away, clearly finding his peace in life.

**10****th**** of October, 2012**

We have all been getting small things done for Grandpa's sendoff. We have been calling it a sendoff, because Grandpa made us promise to not use the 'f' word, and I don't mean the swear word.

Renee has been told, but we don't know if she will come. Just as she was told that he was unwell, but refused to come and see him.

We are here to pay our last respects before the sendoff tomorrow. It's also the first time we have seen his casket. As we walk into the room, even though there are over twenty or more caskets here, it's clear which one is his.

The casket he chose was specially designed according to his directions. It has photos all over it; the biggest one on the top is of all the guys, Bella, and me playing poker with Grandpa. Looking around at all the pictures decorating the top we find several that bring back wonderful memories.

Several from our wedding day, old family photos, pictures of him fishing with his buddies, and many more; he left no one out. One of my favorites is of Bella and me with him, from our wedding day when he placed Bella's hand in mine. "It's so beautiful, Grandpa," Bella whispers out. We all nod in agreement, it seems she was the only one able to find her voice.

**11 October 2012**

Today is the day of the funer…I mean celebration. I have assigned Rose, Grandma Lilly, and Aunt Ella to look after Bella for me. I will be able to be beside her most of the time, but I will have times I have to be away from her because I'm one of the pallbearers. Along with me there are Cole, Martin, Will, Jack, and Harry.

Martin and Cole are at the head of the casket, Will and I in the center, and Harry and Jack at the foot. As we move to sit it down, I see a very colorful room, no one is in black. I take my seat next to Bella. After the services, Grandpa is laid to rest next to his wife Mary. Everyone starts to head off to the 'party'; again, we can't use the 'f' word. Bella goes in first wanting to check to be sure everything has been done.

Martin, Cole, and I stand at the door, ready to greet people. We all stood aside as she went inside the hall that Grandpa chose and paid for in advance. I watch as she goes in, hoping that she will be okay until Rose gets here. I turn to see the first of the cars arriving, as I hear Bella shout. "Oh my God, shit!" Following quickly is an outburst of her laughter.

The three of us exchange looks and go inside to see what's going on. We all stopped dead in our tracks, in shock at what we have in store for us. Grandpa has organized a casino party for us all. As we walk around to see what all he has done, I'm speechless.

"Yep, Bells, shit is the right word," Cole says kissing Bella's head.

"You haven't even seen this yet." She hands us the menu and it's full of many different dishes to choose from, all revolving around one main ingredient; fish. This was all of Grandpa's favorite things in the one room. His love for fishing and eating fish, gambling, playing poker, and all his family and friends.

"I'm just glad that he set up a casino party, and not a fishing trip," Bella says as she wipes her eyes. She gives herself a shake, and smiles. "Let's get this party started." She takes my hand, and Martin's and we head for the door, with Cole following close behind us. "We have guests to greet," she sings in a happy voice.

**3****rd**** of November, 2012**

I'm standing here, looking at the boxes in front of me. I'm unsure of which one to get, there are so many to choose from.

The last few weeks, since Grandpa passed away, have been very hard on Bella. The first week I thought the changes in Bella's sleeping was part of her dealing with his death. I put her feeling ill down to the stress of the whole situation.

For the last week though, I have been thinking it's something else. She has been getting sick each day, and no matter how much she says it is stress, I have a gut feeling it's something else. When it comes to Bella; not much, if anything at all, escapes my attention.

I have noticed that she is more tired. She feels ill early in the day, but feels better later. I know she was due to start her cycle and is so late that now, her next one is also past due. I pointed these things out last night and she told me it was all related to the stress of worrying about Grandpa being sick, and then dying. But this morning, I noticed her breasts are definitely bigger.

With her having all these symptoms, and since she has missed her second cycle starting, I'm buying a test. Bella is on the pill, but we don't use condoms. The only time we have ever used condoms is when Bella was on antibiotics for strep throat, and we both hated it.

Shit, why is it so hard to choose a test? What makes one better than the other? I mean, really? One line, plus sign, the word pregnant, a smiling face; what difference does it make really? I have been reading up on them all for the past week, and they all seem to have good reviews. I've also been reading up on pregnancy for the past week. I give up on deciding and just grab one of each kind and walk to the front of the store to pay for them. I stop on the way remembering to grab her some ginger snap cookies, and some tea made from ginger root. I also grab some broth to help with the morning sickness. I have done a lot of reading lately.

As I check out, I hear the younger woman huff and I see her roll her eyes as she scans the ten different pregnancy tests. When she gives me the total of the charges, she looks me in the eye for the first time. She straightens up batting her eyes at me. "I hope your sister gets the results she wants."

I give her the money to cover the bill. "The tests are not for my sister," I tell her, as I wait for my change. I watch as she writes down her number give to me, but all I want is the receipt and my change.

"Well, if the little happy face turns up you can give me a call. You can even call me if it doesn't. I'm sure I can put a smile on your face," she flirts as she hands me my change and her number.

I smirk at her reading her name tag. "Kelly, as I said, these tests are not for my sister. They are for my wife." I wave my left hand at her showing her my ring. "And, I always have a happy face when she's in the room. Here is your phone number back. I would only need it if I was looking for a gold digger or a disease-ridden whore. Since I'm not, I don't need your number. I'm sure if I ever change my mind, I could get your number from the public toilets." I lean closer to her and snatch the receipt from her hand. "Just so you and I are on the same page, I don't use public toilets." At that, I walk out not even giving her a second glance.

On the drive home I think about what to say to Bella, because I really feel she has convinced herself this is just stress. I just know it is more than that. I know she has stress, too, I mean really, she goes to work at the library and does school online full time, too. Grandpa died, and he was very ill as well. But, with missing two cycles, her breasts being bigger, and this almost daily feeling ill, I know I'm right.

Parking the car, I head up to our place. I unlock the door and walk in to find her at the table with her books out. She isn't studying though; she has her head resting on them as she is sleeping.

"Bella, baby," I say touching her face.

I watch as she wakes up, and stretches. "Shit, Edward, what time is it?" She asks as she looks at her watch. "Shit, shit, shit, I sorry my love," she says rubbing her face a little. "I haven't started dinner yet. It will only take about hour to cook. I'm really sorry, honey, I just closed my eyes." She jumps up talking, as she tries to pick up her books.

"Bella, stop and sit down for a few minutes. I will call and order something for dinner, you relax. How was your day, any more sickness?" I ask pulling her down in my lap as I sit.

"Yeah, I don't know why I keep getting sick. I feel like shit, but then a while later I feel fine. I just don't get it," she says as she breathes out. "I passed my last test, so that's good. I took another test today and I _think _I passed it. I almost ran out of time, because I got sick to my stomach."

I smile at her, moving her hair out of her face. Shit, she does look like she isn't feeling well. I can see just how tired she is.

"Baby, how do you feel about taking another test tonight?" I ask her. I watch as she becomes confused as to what test she might need to take tonight.

"What test would you need me to do with you tonight? Can't you take your own tests?" Bella asks me, clearly in shock at such a request from me.

"Well, you see, I really want to do this test, but I kind of need you. I honestly can't do the test without your help."

She still looks at me with confusion on her face, but smiles and nods at me. "Sure, my love, what do you need me to do?"

I breathe out lowering my eyes, so she doesn't see the anticipation in them. "I need you to pee on some sticks," I say.

I hear her chuckling. "I'm sorry," she says outright laughing now. "I must have missed something, but I think I misheard you. Did you say you wanted me to pee on some sticks?"

I lean over and grab the bag beside me. "Yeah, these," I say, handing her the bag of pregnancy tests.

"Edward, sweetie, I don't think this is why I have been sick. I mean, I still had my period, and that…"

I look at her shaking my head, which stops her from talking.

"Bella, your last monthly cycle ended just before we got married. As of last week you've missed starting the last two cycles."

She runs her hand over her face. "No, I had one after the wedding, I'm sure I did." Bella grabs her diary, where she writes everything down. "We haven't been married for nine weeks, have we? It doesn't feel like that long ago, what is today's date?" She looks at me, and I hand her the newspaper.

I watch as she counts out the weeks and slowly her already pale face becomes even whiter. "Oh my God, how did I not notice that my period never came? Oh my God," she says jumping off of my lap.

I fall from the chair to my knees in front of her. "Sh… baby, it's going to be all right. I'm right here, where I will always be. You had a lot to deal with, it's understandable that you didn't notice. It's all going to be okay." I watch her as she starts to cry. I pull her back onto my lap. "Bella, it's okay, I will stand by you. We will be okay, I promise," I tell her, listening to her hiccup.

"I am sorry; I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm a terrible wife, my husband doesn't have supper on the table, and he has to tell me I have missed two periods."

I chuckle a bit. "How about we take the test, then we will order dinner?" I ask pushing her hair out of her face.

"Sure, but I think I need to pee in a cup, and use that to take the tests. I don't think I have that much pee in me to take the tests any other way," she giggles.

I nod my head and show her that one of the tests comes with a cup and an eyedropper, so she heads off to the bathroom. I wait outside the door for her to use the restroom, and she lets me in when she's done. We had already set out all the tests and have them all ready to go. After we have them all ready, and the timer has been set, we wait.

It's hard not to stand there and watch them while we wait. The longest test time was ten minutes, so with the timer set I drag Bella off to show her what else I bought. I make her try one of the ginger snap cookies, and she says they are delicious. I told her about reading that the ginger snaps and the tea will help settle her stomach. I also showed her the cans of broth I got, so if she does have really bad days, she can sip some broth. When the timer goes off, I take her hand again as we head back to the bathroom.

"Ready?" I ask as we each take a test in each hand. She nods and we quickly turn over all the tests and start reading them.

"We're going to have a baby," she says crying at the end. I frown, worrying that Bella is not as happy about this as I am.

"Bella, I will stand by you. I love you. I will be with you no matter what, if this…" she cuts me off by kissing me.

"No, I am not upset. It is a pretty big surprise. I did want to be done with college, before becoming a mom. But, I love it, it's a part of you, how could I not love it? I am sorry I feel a little overwhelmed," she jumps up running to the toilet. I follow behind her in time to pull her hair back.

"We are going to the doctor tomorrow!" I leave no room for her to argue with me. I get her a cloth to wipe her face, and a bottle of water that's at room temperature. I run her a nice warm bath as she sits on the floor where I asked her to stay. When her bathwater is ready, I stand her up and slowly remove her clothes and help her into the tub. I sit with her and help her as she takes a bath. After I wash her hair and condition it, I wrap her in a towel and carry her to bed. I hope that the doctor will give her something to at least stop the 'morning' sickness that is plaguing her all times of the day and night.

**11****th**** of November, 2012**

We are waiting to be called for our first ultrasound. Last week, our family doctor confirmed Bella's pregnancy. His office made this appointment, but then he put Bella in the hospital for dehydration.

She was only in for two days, but they did an IV to get her rehydrated, and a few times they gave her shots to help settle her stomach. They assured us it would not hurt the baby at all. They recommended a special diet and sent us home when she was able to eat a little better. They were confident it would pass once she reached thirteen weeks of pregnancy.

"Isabella Masen," the nurse calls. Bella and I stand up; she looks at both of us and frowns. I hear her mutter about teenage mothers. "The doctor will be right with you," she says almost rudely and walks out, leaving us in the room. A few minutes pass and the doctor joins us, with the rude nurse in tow. The doctor takes Bella's weight and height.

"You're a little underweight. You need to eat more. None of this dieting stuff, you're pregnant now," the doctor says, his voice is really harsh.

"I have been sick for the last few weeks, but I am trying to keep things down," Bella replies to him.

I watch as he rolls his eyes at her. "Your blood came back, you're O negative; do you know the father's blood type? Not that it matters, we will need to give you Rhogam shots due to your blood type. The nurse will give you some pamphlets regarding why you need it. We will do that around twenty-eight weeks." The doctor and his rude nurse are now both pissing me off. "According to the blood work you're approximately ten weeks along. That means it's too late for you to take the pills to abort it the easy way. You have a few weeks yet where you can get a D&C abortion. If you decide to do the D&C, I recommend doing that soon, the sooner the better. If you decide to keep it, just be sure you know it's a baby and it's hard work, it's not an accessory."

At this I slam my hand down on the table. "Who in the fuck do you think you are, to speak to her like that? I want another doctor in here now!"

The fucker looks at me and smiles. "Look, she just turned nineteen, and she's pregnant. Teen mothers come in here all the time, thinking how cool a baby is. There are people out there, adult people, who have jobs and homes that can't afford a baby. Then we get these teen girls who run around sleeping with this guy, and that guy. They all think it's all fun and games to have a bunch of unwanted kids, who most of the time they end up abusing. Most of them are only trying to trap a guy into marriage; my guess is you're her lucky catch." At this Bella gets up and leaves the room.

I'm about to kill the fucker when Carlisle walks in. "I think that you should go home right now, I will be speaking to the board about this." Carlisle is glaring at the doctor who said all the mean things to Bella and me, as he leaves the room. "Edward, you need to calm down, he was out of line. I have already called Gina to come and take you and Bella as patients." I walk out to find Bella, and of course she's in the bathroom being sick. That fucking piece of shit doctor upset her so badly.

It's another thirty minutes before we're called again. Gina is much better and helps Bella relax. Bella has changed into a gown and is lying on the table. "Okay, now I'm just going to put this gel on you. Don't worry it's not cold; I had it on the warmer so it would not be cold. Now, first I'm going to do some measurements, and then I will show you the baby, okay?" We nod, and watch as she looks at the screen. We are both frowning when she keeps counting to three over and over again. "Bella, I read over your file, it said that you were on the pill and this was unexpected. Is that right?" Gina asks in a strange voice as if she is uncertain of something.

"Yeah, that's right. Why, is there something wrong?" Bella asks, sounding scared. I take hold of her hand and look at Gina for an answer.

"No. I just am going to call Carlisle in; I want him to confirm this first. Everything looks fine, so don't worry." That's easier said than done. Bella and I wait and I can see that she is worried, too. Carlisle comes in and has a quick word with Gina, but we can't hear what they are discussing. I see him roll his eyes as he comes over to look at the screen. "Okay, let's get this thing going so you can see your baby, Bella." He applies more gel. This time it's cold, Bella jumps and he smiles apologetically. We watch as he looks at the screen, and frowns and counts to three just like Gina did.

"Well done both of you, medical school taught you each to count to three. Tell me now, what the hell is going on?" Bella asks with a shout, making everyone jump.

"Sorry," Carlisle says with a chuckle. He turns the screen toward us. "Here is baby one," he points to the screen. I smile at Bella seeing the alien looking thing on the screen, but I am cut off by Carlisle before I can say anything. "Here is baby two," Bella freezes as I go over in my mind the word two. We're going to have two babies! I bend over kissing her head, getting ready to say something, when again I'm stopped with an open mouth by Carlisle's voice. "And last, but not least, here is baby three."

At that I freeze. "What two babies? Shit, wait, I…a second ago…um…did you just say baby number three?" Bella asks with a shaky voice.

I watch as Carlisle nods. "Yes, I did. It's really uncommon, but you are even more than uncommon. That's why Gina was a little shocked about what she saw. Bella, why don't you get dressed and we can have a talk, in my office." Both Carlisle and Gina leave the room, and I help Bella get her clothing back on.

I can tell that Bella is in shock, so I just keep my hand on her, where our skin can touch. "We… we will be okay, won't we?" Bella asks in a whisper.

"We will be better than okay, we will be fantastic. Everything will be fine, you will be fine." I cup her face, and look right into her eyes.

"Promise me, if I act crazy after they're born that you will make me get help. Promise me that you will protect our babies, and get help. Please, Edward, you have to promise me," she begs me.

I look into her eyes knowing this is something she's worried about. She worries she will be like her mom, but I know this will not happen. Bella's too naturally loving to ever harm her child, or anyone else.

"I promise that I will be there every step of the way. If it's an issue and you feel down after the babies are here, I will get you help. Not only will I get you help, but I will be beside you every step of the way. I promise you that we will overcome anything bad together, but you are not Renee. There was more going on with her than her being sad after having you." I pull Bella to me; I hug her, and there's a knock on the door. It's the new, nicer nurse, who takes us to Gina and Carlisle.

"I don't want to worry you, but Bella you need to rest. You're going to have some very stringent rules to follow. First, you need to get a lot of rest, and I mean a lot. No standing on your feet for long periods of time. Keep your feet up as much as you can and no heavy lifting at all. There's a big chance that you will continue being sick throughout this pregnancy. If it gets bad like you were last week, you must come back to the hospital. Due to your smaller size, I do not think you will carry them full term. I want to pencil you in for a caesarian section. We will aim to make it until your thirty-seventh week, but you can talk it over with Edward. Each baby has its own placenta, which means that you released three eggs, this is very uncommon. So, I would like to get that checked out after the babies are here. Mostly, I don't want you getting stressed, at all. You will start getting some steroids to help the babies' lungs develop when we get a better idea of how your body will handle the pregnancy in the third trimester. I want to see you every other week for scans, and to keep an eye on you." Carlisle shows us a lot of books, and gives us copies of pamphlets. He takes us through some more information, before we head home.

We decided to wait until Bella is thirteen weeks along, before telling anyone.

**10****th**** of December, 2012**

Bella and I have told everyone about the babies, most of them are happy for us, which is a good thing. We are on our way to the hospital; a Dr. Hardy called Bella asking to see her. I took some time from a class to go with her. I have been more possessive and worried about Bella's safety; thankfully, Bella has taken it all in stride.

"Miss Swan, please come in," Bella raises her eyebrows at the doctor.

"It's Mrs. Masen now, as I said on the phone."

Dr. Hardy smirks at her. We walk in and take a seat. "Okay, I have booked your room; your operation is this evening."

Bella looks at me in shock, and looks like she cannot speak so I do it for her. "Excuse me, her operation for what?"

"Her mother is in need of a kidney, Bella is the only one in the family who is the right match. She was tested long ago when she was a little girl. Renee has had a kidney problem for years and this surgery has been inevitable. Your mother already signed all the paperwork, saying we have the needed permission to take the needed organ from her daughter Isabella Swan."

The jackass reads all of this to us, and never even bothers to make eye contact. "I'm sorry, can you run that by me again?" I ask him in a rather brisk tone.

The doctor put down his pen and looks at Bella. "Look, this needs to be done right away, your mother is dying. She needs a kidney, and since you have already been tested and you're a match, you're her only hope. I know that you're only a minor, but the paperwork has all been signed and it's all legal. You'll be taken into your room here momentarily and we will begin prepping you for the surgery within the hour. This is for your mother, and she signed the consent form, so that we can do this."

Bella looks at me terrified. "Get Cole on the phone, and get him here now!"

The doctor slams his hand on the table hard making Bella jump. "Stop being a silly girl, you don't want you mother to die, do you?"

Bella straightens herself up in her chair and I can see the rage in her eyes. "Look here you fucking quack, first of all, I'm nineteen years old. I have the legal choice to have any surgery such as you're implying even without my mother's consent. What Renee signed or didn't sign, is of no matter. I will not be having any surgery, not today or anytime soon." The doctor goes to interrupt her, but she continues on. "Secondly, I'm married which makes my husband my next of kin. He, and only he, can make that type of choice, if I cannot make it myself. And thirdly and lastly, I'm pregnant as you can clearly see. With that all said there is a better chance of the pope selling ice cream in hell than there is of me having any surgery today or anytime soon."

The doctor raises his eyebrows at Bella, and in the meantime, I sent Cole a text. I told him where we were and told him to get here right away. He texted back while Bella was going off on the doctor asking what was going on. I texted back telling him it was about Renee and that they are trying to make Bella have an operation. "Look, your mother said you would say all this and that you are really only seventeen years old."

Bella cut him off and began shouting. "Listen you shithead. I do not want this operation, and I'm pregnant."

The doctor stands up shouting, too. "You can have another baby, besides no one needs another teen mom. You're much too young to throw away your life to be on the next teen mom television show. So listen here, little girl, your mother will die without this. Do you not even care about her at all?"

I see that Bella is getting more upset about this, so I jump in. "Look here doctor, I don't know what Renee has told you, but Bella is my wife. Bella is nineteen and she is pregnant with triplets, which makes the pregnancy high risk. Furthermore, it's neither your concern, nor right to say if she's too young or not." I hear Bella mutter as she gets up and leaves the room. "If she is being sick again, I swear I will come back and kick the shit out of you. How dare you speak to her like that, Renee did nothing but abuse that girl throughout her childhood." At this point, I'm right in his face.

"Look here you; I have a signed consent form. I'm taking that kidney, end of story. Her mother said that she would try to lie, and say she was older. Now, step back, or I will have you removed."

I lose control of myself and hit him, I'm about to do it again as the door opens. "Edward, don't do it, step back." I look to see my uncle at the door.

Doctor Hardy fills him in on what's going on, and I'm pacing back and forth. Bella was being sick, Carlisle said that Gina found her in the bathroom and is with her. Gina paged Carlisle and asked him to come here right away. Everything is flashing through my mind so fast, I missed most of the conversation, worried about Bella. "For what I can see, legal action will be taken; you're right about that Dr. Hardy."

"You bet it will," the punk ass doctor says with a smug face.

"Well, Dr. Hardy, just so you're completely aware and up to speed, I think it's your turn to listen. Bella is indeed nineteen years old, and is married to my nephew here. Bella has been in my care for seven years. I first saw her when she was only twelve. If you had actually pulled her records and looked at them, you would know that. I will be going to the board and I assure you that I will indeed be informing them of what just took place here. You not only put the life of a young pregnant girl in danger, she is in fact a high-risk pregnancy. I happen to know that my nephew is more than capable of burying you in court injunctions until you have nothing left in the world. You best hope that Bella and their unborn triplets are fine. Now stay away from my patient, Bella has a restraining order against Renee. You are helping her be in violation of that court order. You could be held liable for accessory and harassment. Do you understand what I am telling you?" Carlisle asks, and the punk ass, bitch's face pales considerably.

Carlisle grabs my arm, pulling me out into the hallway. "I'm really sorry about that. Dr. Hardy is young, with old school training." We head up to the maternity ward, where we find Bella in a bed with another IV hooked up again. Cole is here and does all the legal stuff so that Renee is unable to have any doctor touch Bella. Renee does have kidney failure; she is looking at six months to a year. The fact she still drinks all the time and puts all kinds of shit into her system is not helping.

**4****th**** of May, 2013**

Bella is out with Rose getting the last of the stuff for the babies. We have kept it as a surprise on what we are having. Renee has contacted Bella a number of times, calling her a lot of very derogatory names. It all went quiet again last month; I'm worried it's the calm before the storm.

It's just after my lunch break at college when I see Emmett running toward me. "We need to go, NOW! Rose called me to get you, Bella's having the babies!"

I look at him like he is nuts. "Emmett, she can't be yet, she's still six weeks away." He doesn't answer, but pulls me along with him. I must have gone into shock, because the next thing I know I'm at the hospital. I shake myself out of my shock and ask about Bella. I'm told that she is in surgery and to wait in the waiting room. We are here for just five minutes, when Gina comes in.

"Edward, Bella was rushed in by ambulance. She has placental abruption, and we had to deliver the babies right away. She's still in there, her friend, Rose, is with her. So far Carlisle has delivered a baby boy and a baby girl, he is working on removing baby three right now."

She sits next to me. "What happened?" I ask in a small voice.

"I am not sure. I'm sorry I can't be more help. Let's go now and get you ready and see if I can get you in the operating room. Your uncle is the one doing the surgery." Gina gets up and goes to the door, as a sobbing Rose runs in.

"Rose, please tell me that they are okay, please?" She looks at me and begins crying again. "I need to get in there, please let me in there!" I start moving toward the door Rose came from, only to have Emmett pull me back.

Rose is trying hard to calm herself down. "I'm sorry Edward, they were all okay when I left. Bella asked me to tell you about the babies, and asked me to sit out here with you until she could see you," Rose says. I look at her feeling a pain in my chest, as if someone is ripping my heart out.

"Are they really all okay?" I ask, as she nods at me.

"Carlisle was just fixing Bella up when I left," Rose says, sitting down.

"What happened?" I ask.

Rose takes a deep breath, and blows it out. "We were walking around the mall. We were heading into a store when Renee came out of nowhere. She was screaming in Bella's face about the fact she was a killer. Everyone just stopped and just stood there looking. I tried to get in between them, but Renee grabbed Bella's arm hard. I pulled her away, and she slapped me across the face. Bella tried to move away, but Renee pushed forward. I swear I pushed her back, but she managed to get a hold of Bella again. As Bella pulled her arm away, I pushed Renee away at the same time. Bella lost her balance; I grabbed a hold of her. Then suddenly Renee smacked me hard on the side of my head. I lost what little balance I had. I didn't mean to let her go, Bella flew down the stairs. I ran after her, and she was screaming in pain. There was so much going on, but I didn't panic. I knew the hospital was nearby. After 911 was called, I called your uncle. Carlisle told me what to do until the ambulance got there. I called Emmett to get you. Your uncle said he would meet us outside. When we got here, he rushed Bella into surgery right away. I got that Gina lady to call Cole and Martin. The babies are okay, but were taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit. Bella begged me to leave and come tell you that the babies are okay, and that she loved you. I didn't want to leave her."

I'm so fucking angry at Renee. How the fuck could she do this? I try calming down and start pacing. The pain in my chest settles a little, and I'm able to calm down a little. It's another thirty minutes before Carlisle comes in.

He looks pale and glum. "Edward, everyone is stable. What information do you want first?" Carlisle asks me. I visibly calm down more, when he says that everyone is stable.

I'm still pissed that it took him so long to come talk to me. "What took you so long to come here?" I ask, not meaning to snap at him.

"Okay, so we will cover Bella first. She lost a lot of blood, just after baby three was born. I think she knew, and that's why she asked Rose to leave. Bella died, and for fifteen minutes my surgical team and I kept her alive manually. We got her back; she is alive and breathing on her own. I'm sorry, but I had no choice, I had to make a quick decision to save her life. I had to perform a partial hysterectomy. I had to remove her uterus it was ruptured and causing her to bleed out. There was significant damage and I chose saving her life over trying to repair her womb. I did it without your signature, and normally I would need it, but I didn't have time to get it. I also knew that saving her was the most important thing for you once your babies were out and safe. If I waited, she would have flat lined again. If that happened, there would have been a significant chance I couldn't bring her back again."

I started to cry hearing that my wife died yet again. With my hands in my hair and my back arched in my sobs, I'm grateful it was my uncle. He knows how much Bella means to me.

"Edward, she's stable, but she needs complete bed rest for two days. It will be two full days before she can move around at all. This means it will be two days before she can go to NICU to see the babies. I know that may upset her, but I'm sure she will make a full recovery from this." He sighs letting out a breath. "Okay on to the babies. I'll tell the order they were born in. Babe one was a boy. He was a good size, four pounds nine ounces and scored okay on the Apgar. He needed a little help with his breathing, but he could be off the ventilator by tonight. Baby two was a girl. She was four pounds even, and scored the best on her Apgar. She needed no help with her breathing, but she has a small hole in her heart. This could heal on its own, and we will keep an eye on it until we know if it heals or not. She will need an operation if it doesn't heal on its own, but this is not a big concern right now. Baby three was another boy. He is on the small side. He only weighs three pounds four ounces. He is unable to breathe on his own and his score is on the lower side of things, but he's looking good. It was his placenta that abrupted and that could be why he's not breathing as well as the other two." I nod at him, unable to speak.

"I was thankful to Rose that it went the way it did, she did everything I asked her to do. If it weren't for her we would be looking at a different picture for sure. Okay, you can either go and see the babies, it's all set up, or I can take you to Bella." I look at him knowing that I'm about to do the most selfish thing I have ever done in my life.

"Bella, I need to see Bella first. I don't want to see them without her." I'm unable to look at anyone when I say this. Carlisle laughs and I look up.

"She said that you may do this when we were being informed. She told us to do everything we could for the babies and that she'll see them after. She just wanted to know what sex they were, and said that you would wait for her to see them. She said to make sure that Rose, Cole, Martin, and Emmett could get in to see the babies, and then she knew they had someone."

I smile at him finding some comfort that Bella knows me so well. "Would that be okay then?" I ask as Rose looks hopeful.

He nods. "Gina, can you take Rose to NICU please? We will start off with just Rose and then I will get the others in." I stand up and go to Rose and hug her.

"Thank you for saving them. Tell the babies that their Mom and Dad love them and we will see them soon." She nods as she heads off with a sniffle. Emmett says he will stay until Cole and Martin get here and fill them in on want happened. I head to my wife's room.

Cole and Martin arrive and I find out that Renee was arrested, but bailed out. Jack is trying to find her right now. We are all in the room as Bella wakes up later on that same night. She asks about the babies, which makes me feel bad as I don't know any more than what I have already been told. As one of the nurses goes to find out more, I tell her that I'm sorry that it's only day one and I am failing at being a good father. She hushes me and gives me a kiss on my temple. As we talk and wait for the nurse to come in, we are surprised when Rose walks in. "Okay, what would you like to know? I don't want you to be pissed, so tell me if I say too much." Bella laughs at Rose.

"Tell me everything, Rose, everything." Bella pats the bed and tells me to move so Rose can sit in my spot.

"Okay, I have pictures, do you want to see them or wait till you go down to see them?" We both ask to see them. "This is baby one, he is doing well. He is off the breathing thing, and he's only there because of his weight, and they want to keep an eye on him. He loves the attention." She hands us a picture. He looks real small. We can see Rose's hand and he's not much bigger.

"This is baby two. She is a stunning little thing. She is doing well. They've got her on a heart monitor, but she is keeping a good strong heartbeat." Again, she hands us a picture. My baby girl looks a little smaller than her brother, but not by much.

"This is baby three and he is a little cutie pie." She hands us the last picture and Bella starts to cry. He is definitely the smallest, and clearly not as healthy as the other two. "Bella, he's a fighter just like his mom, really he is. When I saw him, I saw you."

We talk some more over the babies and Bella asks Rose to come back tomorrow and sit with the babies. She agrees right way, and Emmett tells her that he will pick her up. Martin and Cole are allowed in to see the babies, but only for a few minutes. Bella and I are happy that the babies are getting to see their family, even if we can't see them yet.

**6****th**** of May, 2013**

Today is the day Bella and I see our babies. I pick Bella up from the bed and place her in the wheelchair and we head down to the nursery. We found out today that Carlisle had been spending all his spare time in here looking after the babies himself. He was talking with them, and one of the nurses told us that it was him that brought Bella back. The other doctor was going to call it, but he overruled the decision and kept going. He refused to give up or give in. I will never be able to thank him enough for saving Bella and the babies' lives.

We head in and spend time with each of them.

"Do you have any names in mind?" I turn to face Bella as she holds our daughter's hand.

"No, not really. What about you?"

She bites her lip. "Well, I have kind of picked a name for our daughter." I smile waving my hand for her to tell me. "Well, as a middle name I thought of Rose. She really came through for me. I was so scared and she was, too, but she never let it show," Bella wipes away a tear from her eye.

"What about a first name?" I ask.

"Well, what would you say about Elizabeth?"

"Elizabeth Rose Masen. I like it. That sounds really good." I move to her kiss her temple because I am so touched that she wants to name her after my mother. I move us to our little, big guy. "What about this guy? I was thinking maybe Phil?" She nods at me.

"Yeah, Phil," I hear her whisper the name. Then she says, "Martin, Phillip Martin Masen has a good ring to it." I smile giving her another kiss.

"Yes it does." I move over to our little, little guy.

"Can we call him Charlie?" she asks as I nod.

"Yeah, we need a Charlie and he needs a good fighting name. What about a middle name?" Bella carefully places her hand inside the plastic crib.

"Edward." I crouch down next to her.

"Yeah?" I ask thinking she needs to ask me something.

She laughs at me and I look at her. "No, I mean Charles Edward. Those are two good fighting names, for our littlest guy." I smile at her and look at our three beautiful babies; my family.

**4****th**** of May, 2014**

Our babies are one year old today. Phillip Martin had Bella's brown eyes and my hair color. He came home first at one week old. Elizabeth Rose was next and she has a mix of both our hair color. Strangely, it looks really nice. She has an odd characteristic, and we learned it's a hereditary thing in the Cullen bloodline. Our little Elizabeth has one green eye, and one brown eye. It seems to be a thing the Cullens pass on to their daughters. My mother had one blue eye and one green eye. For some reason, she must have passed me the gene, and I in turn passed it on to my daughter. It makes her more special. Elizabeth came home when she was three weeks old. She needed open heart surgery to close the hole, but she is now doing well.

Lastly, at four months old, Charles Edward came home. He's doing really well. He has my eye color and Bella's brown hair. I love that each of our children are a good mix of both of us.

The children were two months old when Carlisle came to tell us that Renee had died on the way to the hospital. She went on a week-long drinking binge, and it was just too much and her body failed. Bella arranged her funeral. It was really quiet; there were only six of us who went.

I was there, of course, along with Martin and Cole, Emmett and Rose. I was surprised that Emmett came, but he said that he wanted to be there for Bella.

After the funeral, Bella spoke at length with Peter. He thinks that Renee was misdiagnosed and that she had schizophrenia. It took a few months for Bella to get back to her old self. She had to take antidepressants for a while. She stopped taking them about a month ago and is back to her normal, loving self.

I watch her sitting with our children reading them a story knowing that she will always be a great mom. She is definitely my MILF.

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**A/N: So this is the end of the regular chapters. So tell us what you think of this so far. Please review, see you tomorrow with the epilogue. **


	31. Chapter 31

**BIG NEWS AND INFO BELOW...**

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**Epilogue: One Lifetime Is Not Enough**

**March 3, 2082**

I am lying on my bed next to my wife. In a few months it will be our anniversary. Seventy years is a long time to be married, but I know that we will not get there. I turn my head and face her. I watch her as she sleeps; she is still the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I push her now short white hair from her face. Thinking back on the last seventy years, so much has happened. After the babies came home we hired Mrs. Cope—well now she's Mrs. Banner. She helped Bella look after the babies, while Bella kept doing her college work online. It took her an extra year to complete, but she still did it two years, faster than most.

As a graduation gift I gave Bella her own business—a publishing house. She was upset about the amount I had spent, but after agreeing that she would work her way up through the company, she felt better about it. I anonymously hired someone who was in charge who would not know that Bella owned the company. Bella was happy with those arrangements, and it worked well. She was really good at her job, and moved up the ladder very fast. She started writing her own stories eventually.

She has written over twenty books; all became best sellers. Several of her novels were even made into movies. She never did book tours, and wrote under a penname. She preferred to keep her published life separate from our family life for the most part. But, our whole family went and watched them on the big screen at each premier.

I took over my father's company when our children were two years old. It was a hard year – that first year in charge, and Bella stood right next to me the whole time. She was correct about one thing; it was funny to see the people's faces when they found out who I was. It took a few months of hard work, but soon I was respected and listened to.

I still loved writing music, and Bella always encouraged me to keep at it. I managed to have a lot of my songs published. I wrote several songs over the years for many different artists, and many different genres of music. I had a lot of the songs I wrote go to number one on the charts, and even won a few awards over the years, too.

I was offered a recording contract by Sony, for which I wrote music. As much as I loved singing, I loved my family more, and chose to decline the limelight of the music world. Singing was a hobby for me, not a career. My wife and children are my life, and traveling around the world was not the way to raise our family.

Rose and Emmett started dating again, after they became godparents to Elizabeth Rose. They say wisdom comes with age, and for them it was true. They were so much better together the second time around; they had learned to put each other first. Rose became a really great mechanic; some would say one of the best ever. She wanted to open her own auto shop, but because of her father, no bank would help her. After talking it over with Bella, we bought a running shop. We kept the younger crew the old man had, who sold it to us in his retirement. We revamped and restored the business to brand new and hired Rose as our manager. We gave her full control of the business and all business decisions for a period of two full years. Every six months we went over all of the accounts and projected profit margins. We put Rose under a contract and after two years if the business was in the black, then we would become silent partners in the operation and she could buy us out a little at a time. Within five years she not only had paid us off, but she had opened two additional shops. She opened a specialty shop for foreign cars, and made such a huge name for herself that people traveled from far away to have her fix things for them. She has even had cars transported to her, to be fixed. She got into the high tech side of car and driver, too. She actually designed a new style for Mercedes. I bought one immediately and loved it. Yes, sadly, it took over my beloved Volvo, although I still owned it as well.

Emmett became a doctor and had his own practice. He is a pediatrician and he loves working with children. He graduated in the top two percentile of his med school class with full honors. He was offered internships throughout the country. He chose to stay in Washington, with his family and friends. Rose and he had a baby boy, Emmett Jr. the same day as Bella and I attended our ten-year class reunion. Poor Rose gave birth naturally, to a bouncing 15 lb, 5 oz baby boy. Much like his father, there was nothing small about him.

Carlisle also went to work at the practice along with Emmett. Carlisle was very proud when he found out what road Emmett chose for a career. It took a long time, but they managed to build a good relationship. It was not the typical father and son relationship, but they were closer, and had respect for each other they never had before.

The relationship between Carlisle and me was better, too. It took him a good few years in therapy to let go of his anger and guilt, but he managed to come out a better man. It was a long path for all of us, but he will always have my respect. I will always thank him for saving my children and wife. Esme and he remarried a year after baby Emmett was born. They spent the rest of their lives together.

Cole and Martin surprised everyone by marrying sisters, and then they both became fathers the same year to girls. Their wives were lovely girls and both accepted Bella as an important part of their lives.

Jessica came back from New York, and when I took over my company, I gave her a job as my secretary. I knew I had nothing to worry about with her. She would not flirt with me, and would always tell me if my lovely wife called me. I, unfortunately, had to fire a few different secretaries before Jessica, for those reasons. She was really good at keeping things professional at the office. Jessica and her son, Benjamin, came to dinner one night at our house. Bella introduced her to Keith, and they hit it off right away. They got married and he even adopted Benjamin as his own. Both Ella and Lilly were sad to hear how Mike had treated Jessica. The whole family welcomed Benjamin and his mother into the family with open arms.

Alice was another story. She never seemed to learn how to be happy. Both Rose and Bella tried to help her, but she refused their help. She really lost her way in college. She was drinking, sleeping around, and on a path of self-destruction. I had so much going on, that by the time I found out what was happening, it was almost too late. Bella was the one that came up with the idea to help Alice.

Rose agreed with it right away, along with me and Emmett. We went together and talked to Carlisle and Esme. It was hard, but we had to intervene for Alice's sake. We got her hospitalized for twenty-eight days. It's hard to have a loved one put into a mental facility, but sometimes you have to do what is best for them. When Alice was released she was on some new medication, and therapy. She refused to speak to us for putting her in the mental health center, but we knew it was for her own good.

At a class reunion, Alice met up with Jasper who had become a psychologist helping with teen addictions. It took a few years, but they got together. Sadly, by that time Alice was in her thirties and had problems conceiving. They never had any children. Alice slowly let Rose back into her life and even made an effort with Bella, but she was never close with them. It was too bad. Alice, Bella, and Rose could have been the best of friends; the three girls had so much in common.

Tanya became a movie star and America's sweetheart, which lasted for about ten years. After her fourth marriage dissolved, she fell off the face of the earth, or so it seemed. Last we heard at a class reunion, she was working for a horse trainer, cleaning stables.

Jacob, who we saw at the second class reunion we attended, had become very large. Not in a good way either. Bella cracked me up that night when we left and she said he reminded her of a character from a movie when we were kids. Bella said that Jacob had literally become the character Fat Bastard from the Austin Powers movie. It was funny because he still thought of himself as sexy; it was so scary it was funny.

As for our children, Elizabeth married Benjamin. Mike, the sleaze, tried to re-enter Benjamin's life once he found out who Benjamin was marrying. I give the kid credit. He talked to Mike, but made it clear that Keith was his dad. After Benjamin told Mike he had no money, and would not ask Elizabeth, her family, or me for any, Mike quickly exited as fast as he entered. I felt bad for Benjamin, but glad that he put his wife, my daughter, first.

My sons also got married, and I soon became a Grandpa, then a great-grandpa. Bella was very much my own personal GGILTF, it always made her smile at me when I said that.

The years passed by really quickly, and no amount of time will ever be enough. Our marriage has never been what you would call perfect, but we always remained together. We would have screaming matches or arguments where I slept on the couch for a night. We always worked through everything, because we were only truly happy when we were together. I'm happy to say that most of our ups and downs were down in the bedroom. Five years ago was hard on us; Bella found out she had cancer. She fought with everything she had and won. Sadly, last Christmas, we were told that it was back, and there was nothing they could do for her this time.

Yesterday, we were told that she had only days left. She begged me to bring her home, so I did. We never told the rest of the family; she wanted to spend this time with just me. I lie here holding her close to me as I watch her take her last breath, slowly passing away. For the third time in my life, my wife has died.

I know this time she will not be brought back. I close my eyes waiting for death to take me, as I will not live a day without her beside me.

It feels like minutes from when I close my eyes that I feel someone kissing me softly. I open my eyes and look at the old woman next to me. It takes few minutes, but I start to see her more clearly, it's my wife, my Bella.

"Bella, where are we?"

She smiles at me, and nods to her side. I look and see a train coming closer. "Come on this is for us, we're going to heaven." I smile at her, and help her on the train. As the train moves closer toward heaven, I watch Bella's face.

Slowly, she is changing back into the young woman I fell in love with all those years ago. The closer we get, the younger she looks. I look down at my hands and see that they are looking younger, too.

When the train stops Bella looks the way she did when she was twenty-one. I look at the window of the train, seeing my reflection. I look a few years older, but still young, about twenty-five.

"Oh my god, you look so beautiful. I love you," I say, as I kiss her. I pick her up and carry her, as we exit the train. We walk over and start looking around heaven.

**After death**

"What would you like to do now?" I whisper in Bella's ear.

She looks up at me with a smile. "Everything, anything, as long as you are with me. What about you, what would you like to do?"

I smile at her, and pull her closer to me. "I would like to marry you."

I feel Bella smile against my chest. "We are already married, remember?"

I tilt her chin up to look into her eyes. "Yes, my love, we are, on earth. I want to marry here in heaven."

She bites her lip and nods. I pick her up and turn her around, and pull her in and kiss her.

It took us a week to get all the information on how we can get married here. In heaven, apparently, it's a bit different than it is on earth. There are some rather stringent rules you must abide by. One of the guardian angels took us through the conditions of a marriage in heaven.

Getting married here is a binding of hand, mind, and soul. It means that we would remain joined together for eternity. We could communicate without speaking. We would always know where the other was, because a piece of us would always be with the other. We will have to remain together here in heaven, or anywhere we travel. Unlike most spirits, after spending some time here they have the choice to be reborn. Bella and I have to give up the right to be reborn, if we choose to become one in heaven.

When the angel explained this part for us, we both smiled. Neither of us have any intention of ever being apart; we never have. We would always choose to be together forever. Once we chose to be bound, we were told we could meet up with all of our friends and family who were still here, but not until after we are bound.

We are standing here; in front of us is the binding guardian angel. She takes both our hands and joins them together, tying a golden rope around our wrists. Once tied, it disappears, but yet I can still feel it.

"These two people have come to ask to be bound together, forever. What I have bound cannot be broken," she says. We listen to a lot of other things. There are a lot of things said that neither of us understand, but after time we will understand the language that they speak. As this warmth spreads through our bodies, it's like I feel instantly closer to Bella than I have ever felt before.

"Do you feel that?" I hear in my head, and I smile and silently reply with a simple _yes_ inside my own head. I can talk to her, and she can hear me without words.

The words from the guardian angel bring me back into the present. "Blessed be," she says. Both Bella and I smile at her, and thank her. "You're one now; there is nothing that can separate you from the other. I will leave you now. Before I do, I would like to say I have done this a few times now, but never have I joined two people that were so connected to each other as you two are." She smiles at us before leaving the room.

Bella smiles before pouting at me. _"What," _I ask her inside my head.

She smiles at me. _"She never said that you could kiss the bride," _Bella thinks back_. _I pull her into my arms, wrapping them around her as I hear the music playing. Bella rests her head on my chest. I pull her up to my face and look her in the eyes. _"May I kiss the bride?" _

She doesn't answer; she simply starts to kiss me, as we dance around the room.

"_I love you," _I hear Bella say in my mind, as I'm still kissing her lips. I smile realizing that we can talk to each other no matter what we are doing. I stop dancing, bending to put my head to hers. I let all the thoughts about her travel through my mind. I remember our times at camp, asking her to be my girlfriend, marrying her, making, and having our babies. All my memories flood my head as I show her how she has made me feel. I'm floored when Bella does the same for me, sharing with me her most sacred memories.

As the same song continues to play, we continue to tell each other all our thoughts in our own wordless way. Soon, we both notice that we are no longer alone. Surrounding us are all of our close friends and family who have joined us now that Bella and I have been bound. It's so good to see Grandpa Charlie and Grandma Mary dancing together. Then I see my parents, and grandparents, Esme and Carlisle, Lilly and Phillip, Ella and Waylon, Emmett and Rose, and so many, many, more. I felt every emotion Bella felt as she saw her father dancing with a woman who we learn he was in love with at the time of his death.

Today was the day that my Bella has deserved all her life, to be truly happy and at peace. I could feel it, not only her undying love and devotion for me, but the peacefulness of being truly happy.

I am glad that she agreed to be bonded to me because one lifetime with her could never be enough for me.

We are dancing again to the music that's playing.

**~The End~**

**Side-shot…**

"_Bella where are you?" I ask in my mind as I walk around the school. Yes, I said school. It's so strange to be here in school again._

_Bella and I are visiting earth. We can stay here for a day or two every so often. Bella likes to interfere with people's lives. She calls it just helping them. I just smile and stay beside her. I see her and walk over to her; I follow her path of sight and see her watching Alice._

_Well, it's Alice's soul, her spirit, now she is called Mary. Alice hates the name Mary, and is going to change her name as soon as she turns eighteen. Right now, all her friends call her Tink. She looks so different from the Alice that I knew, but still the same. She has darker skin and her eye color is grey, but she is still small standing at just less than five feet. Her hair goes to her shoulders, but she wears it in a ponytail on the side of her head. Her hair is blond, I have to laugh at that, knowing Alice would hate that color._

_I watch as _she walks past_ 'Jasper' who is now called Jackson. As _they walk past each_ other, both Bella and I see a spark between them. We see that they both felt it. Bella jumps up and down clapping her hands. "Come on, time to interfere and get those two together."_

_I shake my head at her. "Bella he's an ass, he never sees her, she's not in the in crowd." Strange that's something that never changes in school, ever. _

"_Yeah, but with a little push and whispers here and there he will see her." Bella runs over to the table he's sitting at. I watch her whisper in his friend's ear. Of course, no one can really see or hear us, or any of these whispers and the person thinks it was all their idea._

"_Really, Bella, making her a bet? She's going to love that when she finds out, and we both know she will!"_

_Bella rolls her eyes at me. "The bet is just to get him to start talking to her, love will take over from there, mark my words, those two will get married."_

_I laugh as I say, "Want to make a bet out of it?"_

_She nods her head._

_**A few years later**_

_Bella is doing her I-told-you-so dance. Alice and Jasper or I should say Jackson and Mary have just had their first baby. Yes, they married last year. I watch Bella dance around our room. I am trying to look pissed, but failing miserably. Bella just looks so cute when she's this happy. I grab her as she passes me in dancing around. "Come to bed with me."_

_She shakes her head, moving away, but looks back at me over her shoulder. "You're going to have catch me." At that she runs._

_Let's just say that playing tag and catching her is one of my favorite games. It's not long before I take her to our bed._

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**A/N: Well this is finally cleaned up. It's still far from perfect, but neither of us are embarrassed by it. Thank you all from the bottoms of our hearts for all the love you've given us not only with this story but with seemingly every story we've written over the years. WeeKittyAndTAT have more stories to share with you all, and the next one starts posting tomorrow. We have plans for many more stories as well. We want to thank the people at TWCS, we have managed to make the weeks top stories several times with our stories over the years. We want to thank the top ten monthly poll, where we have had stories in the vote monthly almost all year long. Thanks to those who nominate, and vote. Thanks to the great group of ladies mentioned in the last chapter, because they do keep us readable. BUT MOST OF ALL ... THANK YOU! Without you - our readers - we would be nothing. You all give us the want and desire to write more. There will be no less than 2 more stories from us this year. So watch out for us, we're still here.**

**Next story: Family Business.**  
**Summary: Edward's grandfather's business has been closed because of his investment partner died and his daughter, who he calls the viper, wants more than just money to reopen. The viper makes life hard for the Cullens when Edward refuses her 'offer.' When an angry Edward meets another poor little rich girl that needs some tutoring, will she be the one to teach him a thing or two?**


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